


My Little Bird- Blue Eyes love

by TheAnarchyOfSilence



Category: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Genre: Blue Eyes/human OC, DOTPOTA, F/M, Gen, Love, Sorry Not Sorry, What Have I Done, Why do people seem to like this, but I should be, he's an angst machine ain't he, she is too tbh, steady-ish progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-24 23:51:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 185,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3788923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAnarchyOfSilence/pseuds/TheAnarchyOfSilence
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A girl is sent up to the dam to work on it when she has a run in with death, only to be saved by none other than an ape. When her camp is destroyed, and Caesar offers sanctuary in his home while she works, what happens when a bond forms between her and Caesar's oldest son, Blue Eyes? COMPLETE</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

My little Bird- 1

"You called for me, sir?" I peaked into the office room shyly.

"Ah, yes, Dr. Harley's girl, am I right?" Dr. Dreyfus stood up from his creaky chair. I glanced around the cluttered office before letting myself move into view a bit more. I nodded at his assumption.

"How would you like to do something very important for me?" He said. I mentally rolled my eyes at his tone. He said it like he was asking a dog if it wanted to play fetch.

"What do you need?" I tried to keep my voice from wavering.

"Will you do it?" He avoided my question. My worry was growing even larger than it had when my mother had told me Dreyfus wanted to see me. I forced myself to nod, afraid of what would happen if I said no.

"Wonderful. The generators aren't going to last much longer. I need you to travel up to the old dam and get it working. The energy would set us up for years." He clapped his hands together and started dusting them off before turning away from me. I sucked in a gasp. No one has been up at that dam for the past decade. I knew I couldn't get out if it, I would probably get yelled at, even if I could force up the courage to speak up.

"Leave as soon as you can. First light tomorrow would be phenomenal." He handed me a sheaf of papers. "There's what you should know about your assignment." He shooed me away. I gave another stiff nod and slid away from the doorway, chewing my bottom lip. I made my way through town, hopping rooftops and fire escapes to avoid the crowds below. When I got to my building, I climbed the fire escape one floor down and pulled open the apartment window.

"Rain." I looked up at my mother's voice. She was standing at the threshold of my bedroom. "What did Dreyfus want?" She wrung her hands over her heavily pregnant stomach worriedly.

"Mom, you shouldn't be on your feet." I walked over to her, pulling her out into the small living room and to the patchy couch. She yanked her hand out of mine and turned me to face her before I could urge her to sit. She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye.

"What did he want?"

I sighed. "He wants me to go to the dam in the mountains and fix the workings. The generators are gonna go out soon."

"What's going on?" We both turned at the new voice. I seen my older brother, Dax, watching us. I repeated myself, signing at the same time.

'No.' He said and signed. 'There is no way I'm letting you go there alone. No one has been there since the Ape Riot, it's not safe.'

I was flattered by my brother's concern, but I brushed it off. 'I'm going, Dax. We're all going to be in the dark if I don't.' I argued.

'You think they can't find someone else to do this? Rain, no.' He gave me a sharp look. It used to be off putting back when I wasn't used to the intensity level his eyes have been able to get to ever since he went deaf.

I was pretty proud of my big brother. He lost his hearing when he was sixteen and was able to keep his speech and learn how to sign fairly fast. I guess you have to when it becomes your only way of communication. I just wish at least some of the people here at "Group Golden Gate" as Dax liked to refer to us as, would take the time to at least learn a few basic signs, and not rely on his lip reading or my interpretation. 'Yes, no, help, thank you' would that be so hard to learn?

'Dax, I'll be fine.' I said and signed. 'There's nothing you can say to change my mind.' I turned to my mother. 'You either.'

Mom sighed, and nodded slowly. 'I know, I know. But your not going alone. Dax, your going with her.' She signed.

He gave an irritated sigh. 'Fine.' He turned away, presumably to go pack.

"Sit down mom. I'm going to go pack." I said, giving her a hug. She held me close before plopping down on the couch with her book.

I walked back into my room and closed the window I came through. I grabbed a backpack and put three sets of clothes in, three water bottles, and my camera, along with a handful of extra memory cartilages. (I hit the mother load when I found a discarded box full of them, taped and sealed, and unopened.) I liked to take pictures of everything, because you never know when something's going to change for good.

I grabbed my bow and quill full of arrows and hung it on my doorknob, also grabbing some extra arrows so I wouldn't have to stop and build more. I made the archery set myself, whenever I find branches and sticks smooth enough, I take them and make arrows out of them. I added a tent and tied a rolled up sleeping bag on top of the bag. When I was satisfied that I had enough, I stuffed in my tool box and walked to the bedroom door across from my room and opened it slightly, looking away while I reached my hand in and felt for the light switch. I flickered it up and down until I heard a grunt.

I walked into Dax's room to see him finishing up his own backpack. 'We leave in the morning.' I signed. He nodded and zipped up his backpack. I beckoned him to follow me out to the living room. He did, and I pushed him toward mom on the couch and pointed to her. I continued walking into our meager kitchen and walked back into the living room with three cups of tea. We save the coffee for special occasions. Well, Dax and Mom do. I can't stand the stuff.

I found Dax massaging Mom's feet. I handed mom her mug before touching Dax's shoulder. He looked up and smiled at me as he took the cup. I sat down next to mom and sipped at my tea. She brought her arm around my shoulders and stroked my hair with her long fingers. Dax sat on her other side and placed his hands on her stomach. He gasped and broke out into a wide grin after a few seconds. I smiled and put my hand on her large stomach next to my brothers. I felt my own smile stretch my lips farther as I felt movement under my palm.

"I can't wait to meet them." I said.

"Them?" Mom asked

"I don't know if they'll be a boy or a girl, and I don't want to call them an it." I explained. She smiled and we sat there in comfortable silence until mom announced that she was tired. Dax and I took the time in helping her waddle to her bed room. She surprised us by pulling us into the bed with her.

'Come sleep with mama.' She said in her baby voice while signing.

"Mom." I pretended to whine.

'We're not babies.' Dax signed. 'I'm a grown man.'

'You're always gonna be my babies.' She pulled us down beside her, and we gave no protest. I was glad to be able to cuddle with my mom and brother. I fell asleep with an arm over my mom's tummy, right next to Dax's.

\----the next morning----

I sighed as I fitted my bow string over my chest. I looked out the window at the heavy fog over the Golden Gate Bridge that I hoped would be burned away by the sun soon. I walked out my bedroom door and found mom saying goodbye to Dax in front of the door. I paused to watch her sign.

'...keep her safe. Remember to stick together. If the dam is unsafe, come right back home, I don't care what Dreyfus has to say.'

I continued toward them and knocked on the wall. Mom turned to me and Dax followed her gaze. Mom hurried as fast as her pregnancy would allow to embrace me tightly. I stepped away slightly, afraid to hurt the baby, but kept my arms locked around her neck, breathing in her lavender scent.

When she pulled back, her eyes were teary. "Aw, mom." I pouted, hating when my mom was sad.

'Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just go, fix that hunk of junk, and come back home.' She signed and said.

"Maybe you should stay with Malcolm..." I crossed my arms over my chest, chewing on my lip worriedly. I didn't want to leave her alone so close to her delivery, and I knew my mother's childhood best friend Malcolm would keep her safe while Dax and I were gone, he had been a close friend to us for years.

'No no no. I was an independent woman once, I can be again. And it's only for a short time.' She tutted before leaning forward to kiss my cheek. She did the same for Dax before I kneeled down in front of her bulging stomach.

"Take care of mom for us, okay? Hopefully we'll be back before it's time for you to join us." I spoke to the bump. Mom and Dax watched me with warm (and watery) smiles. I pulled out my camera and looked at them with a puppy dog look. They both sighed and Dax put his arm around mom, waiting for me to join them. I smiled and moved next to mom, holding the camera out in front of us before clicking the button. I looked down at the image and smiled.

"That's a keeper, Kitten." Dax said as he looked over my shoulder. My smile grew as he used his nickname for me.

We hugged one more time before Dax and I walked hand in hand down to the outskirts of the city, toward what used to be Muir Woods.


	2. Chapter 2

I breathed in the air around me. The forest was damp with dew and the world smelled like sap and water and clarity. I snapped a picture of a redwood with a humungous trunk.

"Rain." My head snapped toward Dax a few feet away. "Stay close." The humorous, mellow brother I knew was hiding, and the cautious, efficient Dax was in his place.

I jogged up to him and signed. 'Happy?'

He turned away but I had already seen the grin he was trying to hide. I did as Dax asked and stayed close to his side, both of us quiet. I did what he couldn't and kept an ear out for danger, while Dax watched for any threats. We continued toward the dam, following an old, grown in path for three more hours until Dax called for a rest stop.

He sat down on a fallen log and I threw him our second bottle of water. I had drunk the first one one the way here and could hear a river, so I decided to make use of it.

'I'm going to go refill this' I said and signed to Dax.

'Where?' He signed back.

'I hear water. I'll be back soon.' I turned toward the sound.

"Be careful." I heard him call. I raised a hand to acknowledge him. It took me about five minutes to get to the stream. I quickly filled the empty bottle and started on my way back. I toyed with the lanyard keeping my small camera around my neck as I walked, but when I got closer to the rest site I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a loud roar.

I dashed past the shrub line keeping the camp from site and gasped in horror. Dax had been backed up against the trunk of a redwood by a big brown bear. It stood on its hind legs and gave another roar. Dax yelled out and swung his short machete he had taken with him. I dropped the water bottle and strung my bow with an arrow. I took aim and let the arrow fly. It lodged itself between the bear's shoulder blades.

The animal gave another angered cry and turned to me, on all four paws. I picked up a rock and threw it at the bear, managing to hit the top of its head, which caused it to growl as it stalked foward. I raised my arms and signed at Dax to run.

"Hey! This way! Come this way bear!" I yelled as I backed up.

It huffed and stomped its paws into the ground at each step. "Rain, don't!" Dax yelled.

'Dax, go! Please, run!' I yelled back, signing frantically.

I strung my bow again and aimed, while walking backwards from the animal. But before I could let the arrow go, the bear crumpled to ground, two spears buried into its right side. I dropped the bow as I fell back with surprise, and Dax took the chance to run past the dying animal to me.

"Are you okay? Where does it hurt?" Dax looked me over frantically, totally overlooking the fact that it wasn't either of us that killed the bear. I was going to say something about it when I heard a thump, followed by a set of thuds. I looked past my brother's shoulder and my mouth dropped open.

Three large apes had dropped from the trees and were watching us. Dax, deaf to the sounds of their arrival kept looking me over. I finally grabbed his wrists in my hand and nodded to the large figures. He turned and gasped, moving in front of me protectively while helping me to my feet.

All three were chimpanzees. All standing on their hind legs. The one in the middle was tall with dark brown fur and had white paint on his chest and face, looking similar to ribs and a skull. It stared down at us with caution and authority. Obviously the leader of the three. The one to its right was shorter and thin furred, and a bit pale, but you could easily see the muscles in his arms and chest. The one to the leaders left was the smallest of the three, and seemed younger. It had dark fur and I spotted similar paint on its chest and face as the middle ape, but it's skull paint ended on its upper lip, and it carried a spear, where the other two did not.

Then the middle ape did something I never saw coming. "Why..are you here?" He spoke.

Dax only glared. "Get back!" He threatened, stepping farther in front of me.

"Dax, wait!" I put my hand his shoulder, and he turned his head so he could see me and keep an eye on the apes.

'He spoke.' I signed.

Dax's expression changed from annoyance at my interruption of his brotherly protection to a confused glare. 'Impossible.' He signed and said.

'Apparently not.' I said and signed, stepping out from behind him a bit.

"You sure your not loosing your hearing as well?" He said, glancing at the apes, who stood watching silently.

'I'm sure.' I insisted, and looked back at the apes as well.

"Why are you here?" The ape repeated.

"What did it say?" Dax asked.

'He asked-' I stopped when the ape repeated itself, and signed at the same time.

"You sign?" I blurted. The three apes looked at me, and I quickly averted my gaze.

'Answer.' The ape sounded impatient.

I stepped forward, not wanting to irritate the strong primate. 'We need to go to the dam.' I said and signed.

"Dam?" The ape didn't sign. I pointed at the mountain where it was located.

They turned and gazed at the mountain for a few seconds, the leader and the balding one exchanged a glance.

'What..are your names?' The leader asked, continuing to sign.

'I'm Dax, this is my little sister. She's called Rain.' Dax signed.

The ape grunted and placed a hand on his chest. "Caesar." I quickly finger spelled the ape's name for Dax, and the ape waited patiently. "Caesar." placed his fingertips on the balding apes shoulder.

"Rocket." Again he waited for me to finger spell the second name before placing his fingers on the smaller ape.

"My son, Blue Eyes." I translated for my brother.

'Why do you need..to go this..dam.' Caesar asked, signing and speaking.

'I was sent up here to fix it. If I can get it working then my home will have enough warmth and light for years to come. The generators we've been using are almost gone.' I explained quickly.

'We have not seen humans, for many seasons. Why come now?' Caesar asked.

"The generators were enough." Dax said. "Not much longer now, though."

'Please.' I said and signed. 'We don't want any trouble. We just want fix the dam and go back home. We won't bother you. I promise.'

Caesar scanned his gaze over Dax, then me, as if searching for lies in our bones. I was surprised to see green eyes when he looked me in the eye. My eyes were then pulled to the smallest ape, and met his blue gaze. 'I guess his name is literal.' I thought as I gazed into the blue eyed ape's eyes. He stared back with an intense gaze, and I wondered what he was thinking. All of them were taller than me, I've always been small for my age, and I'm feeling a little more than inadequate next to all these taller males.

I was surprised when Dax started moving forward, after Caesar and Rocket. I dashed back to retrieve my bow and placed the bowstring over my chest and hurried to catch up. I touched Dax's arm to get his attention as we walked. 'What's going on?' I signed.

He gave me look. 'Weren't you paying attention?' He signed back, both of us staying silent. I gave an apologetic look and a shrug.

'They say they'll take us in the right direction. We were off coarse. Caesar says he wants to see exactly what we do there, to make sure we're not a threat to their home.' He signed.

I nodded. 'That's understandable. We are on their territory.' We fell silent after that, and I shouldered my backpack. We continued on in silence for two or three hours, yeah we were way off coarse. We stopped in a clearing for the night. Caesar turned to us.

'You stay here..for the night. We will come back..tomorrow, take you to the dam.' He said and signed. His speech is pretty good for an ape.

'Thank you.' I said and signed. Caesar nodded and all three apes climbed quickly up one of the redwoods circling us. I sighed and slid my backpack off my shoulders and searched for my tent. Dax helped me set it up, using rocks to hammer the pegs into the earth. When it was set up I threw my backpack into the tent and looked around. It was dusk, the sun starting to sink.

I picked up a pebble and tossed it near Dax's feet. It rolled over his foot and he looked down, then at me. 'I'm going to watch the sun.' I signed, refraining from verbal speech.

He gave me a look that said, 'Do you have to?' I just smiled an waved before turning my back to him and fixing my gaze on the redwoods surrounding me, and started plotting a way up in my head. I sighed and started toward two redwoods growing very close together, only about five or so feet separated the trunks.

I gave myself a running start, and jumped up, planting my right foot into the left trunk and used my momentum to push off, and dug my left foot into the right trunk before hopping back to the left. I continued doing this, gaining altitude jumping between the two massive trees. I placed my hand on each tree as I lifted off to give more thrust

My legs were starting to burn with the exercise, and I glanced up to see how far up to the branches. If I slowed down now, I would drop eleven plus feet. I puffed out a breath when I was finally able to push off and grab onto a branch. I swung my legs for a moment before using my core and pushing my legs upward and hooking my knees over the branch. I held my breath and I then pulled myself up onto the branch and sat there for a moment, resting my strained legs.

I looked down and seen Dax watching me, and waved down at him. He waved back but I could tell he wasn't too pleased. Dax never liked it when I climbed. I did it regularly at home, I'm not the most popular girl, and there are often crowds on the streets, so I jump from building to building and on fire escapes to get places. Like the Ninja Turtles.

The sky was starting to turn pink, and I got to my feet quickly, balancing myself out with a hand on the tree trunk. I jumped to another branch in front of me and let go, swinging to a third. I plotted out a route in my head again and quickly made my way up the tree. I hopped on some branches like stepping stones and I swung from others like monkey bars. I finally made it to my limit. The branches above me were starting to thin out in location and size, and I no longer trusted them to hold my weight. I sat myself down and gazed at the view.

I could catch glimpse of the crimson colored Golden Gate Bridge from here, and was surprised by how far away it seemed. But what held my attention was the colors painting the sky above me. I had made it up just in time to see the sun slowly descending below the horizon to give spotlight to the moon for the night.

As the sun made its journey, the clouds were sprayed with rich oranges, soft pink streaks and cream colored lines. The sun burned a blazing orange, giving the world one last blast of light before it went to sleep. It was soon behind the tree line and I was draped in cool shadows. I shifted on my branch a bit as I waited for the finale. After a while, the orange dominated sky started to give way to a deep indigo purple, the clouds still fluffed with pink colors. This was my favorite part, when the sky bled my favorite color.

When I could see the North Star, I decided I should follow the suns example and get to back to the ground. This was the hard part. I sighed and started jumping down from branch to branch, slowly making my way down. When I could see the forest floor, I noticed Dax pacing by the tree roots, a fire burning a few feet from our little tent.

Taking a leap of faith, I started down the trunk the same way I got up, ungracefully and rushed. I winced at the bark burning my hands and I realized I might be in for a long night of picking out splinters. When I was just above Dax's height I pushed myself away from the redwood and rolled onto the ground. Dax turned and rushed over.

"Rain!" He growled with a mix of worry and annoyance, starting to check me over for injuries.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I waved him away, getting to my feet. I dusted myself off and checked my palms over. They were cluttered with the redwood's stringy bark, but I was relieved that I only had three or so splinters. Quickly removing them, I glanced up at Dax, who had his arms crossed over his chest, his labor worked biceps bulging in the firelight. His dark eyes glinted as he glared at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Not safe." He said and shook his head, before pointing up at the tree I came from.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "You worry too much."

"Sometimes I don't think I worry enough." He muttered.

I turned and signed. 'Heard that.' Before turning back and ducking into the tent.

"You were supposed to." Dax muttered as he followed me in, zipping it up behind him. I slipped into my sleeping bag and closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion of the day take my consciousness away.


	3. Chapter 3

I was back in the trees. But I had found a different tree to get up and was sitting on a sturdy branch, waiting for Dax to come out of the tent. I had watched the sunrise earlier, and was now bathing in its warm rays. I started humming the song Little Bird by Ed Sheeran and I couldn't help but to start singing it.

'If we take this bird in

With its broken leg

We could nurse it

She said

Come inside for

A little lie down with me

If you fall asleep

It wouldn't be the worst thing

But when I wake up

You make up is on

My shoulder

And tell me if I lie down

Would you stay now and let me hold ya

Oh

But if I kiss you

Will your mouth read this truth

Darlin how I miss you

Strawberries taste how lips do

And it's not complete yet

Mustn't get our feet wet

Cause that leads to regret

Divin in too soon

And I'll owe it all to you oh

My little bird...

My little bird

If we take a walk out

In the morning dew

We could lay down

So I'm next to you

Come inside for

A little home made tea

If you fall asleep then

At least you're next to me

And if I wake up

You see it's late love

Go back to sleep

I'm covered by nature

And I'm safe now

Underneath this oak tree

With you beside me

(Chorus)

And I'll owe it all to you oh

My little bird...

My little bird

My little bird...

You're my little bird'

I stopped there when I seen Dax come out of the tent frantically. I hurried down as he started calling for me. When I hit the ground I kicked a pebble toward him to try and get his attention as I hurried toward him. I brushed his shoulder with my fingertips. He turned around and sighed before crossing his arms over his chest again.

'You were in the trees again, weren't you?' He asked suspiciously.

I looked down for a second, then turned my eyes up and looked at him through my lashed. 'Maybe.' I signed.

He sighed, annoyed. 'I don't know why you always insist on putting your life at risk.' He said, his signing speeding up.

'I'm fine. I've been climbing for years and I've only ever fallen once. I know what I'm doing.' I answered.

"Yeah, and when you fell, you broke your foot, Rain. And you haven't climbed trees in more than a decade, not since the Ape Riot." He replied.

'I remember how to climb trees.' I said and signed stubbornly before crossing my arms over my chest.

"Redwoods? If you fall from there, you loose your life." He growled.

"Then I better not fall." I said.

We ended up having a stare off, both of us glaring into each others eyes. I was annoyed that he never trusted my skills. I know that he's just worried because he loves me but his lack of faith in me hurt. Dax suddenly broke out into a goofy grin and started chuckling. I raised a brow.

"What are you laughing at?" I asked, raising a hand to my hip.

'You...you look just like mother right now.' He said and signed while trying to control his breathing. The sight was too much, and I started laughing with him. Dax drew me under his arm and ruffled my hair, and I giggled and hugged him. He gave my temple a kiss and let me go, moving into the tent and tossing me a bag of jerky.

'Eat.' He signed, still smiling.

I took a piece out and tossed him the bag, he took two pieces for himself and put the bag away again. I bit off a piece and chewed, plopping down onto the ground.

"So," Dax said as he swallowed a mouthful of jerky. "I guess we have to wait for Caesar to get here before we go."

I nodded. 'It's a good thing they found us.' I signed as I chewed. 'We'd probably be dead right now, and not to mention we were going in the wrong direction.'

'Speaking of that.' Dax signed, and he got a look on his face. "Don't do that again, Rain."

"What?" I asked.

'Don't try to save me.' He signed.

"That's ridiculous." I said. 'How can you ask that of me? You're my brother, I'm going to do something if your life is at risk.' Did he really expect me to listen to that bullshit?

"No, Rain. Not if it's a 1200 pound bear. I was fine, I could of handled it. You shouldn't of goaded it on like that. You can't outrun a bear, and I won't loose my sister." He shook his head.

'And you expect me to be okay with loosing my brother? Dax you weren't even supposed to come. I would have just gone high up in a tree until it left.' I immediately regretted implying that it was his fault.

I sighed. "I'm sorry. Let's not fight, okay?" I asked.

He stared at me for a moment before nodding. I smiled and got up to hug him. He returned the hug and when we pulled apart, a horse's neigh sounded. I turned to my right and seen a group of apes coming our way, a few, including Caesar, were on horseback. Dax and I stood up and waited for them to enter the clearing. They looked to have around thirty or so apes with them, but they stayed in the tree line while three on horses continued into the clearing.

I recognized Caesar and his son, Blue Eyes, but I didn't know the third ape. The bonobo's fur was dark and tinted silver, signs of aging. It had multiple scars all over its body, including a slash down its right eye, that same eye clouded over with what looked like cataracts. It's face was etched into a grim, narrow eyed glare, and I immediately felt nervous around this new ape.

Dax immediately took a step in front of me, shielding me halfway from view. I was thankful his toned shoulder blocked my view of the scarred ape, though I was still slightly annoyed. Did Dax think I couldn't defend myself?

"Will you take us to the dam now?" Dax called, I seen his shoulder move, so I was aware he had signed as well as spoke. Some of the apes in the tree line, I noticed, looked genuinely shocked at his actions. 'Just as I had been,' I thought.

Caesar gave a nod and a grunt, and looked pointedly to his right. Blue Eyes got off his horse, and another took the reins from him. Four other apes in the tree line stepped forward with the young ape as he walked toward us. Our eyes locked again, but he quickly broke eye contact and stopped a few feet away.

'Give us your guns.' He signed.

Dax immediately started to protest, but I stepped out and stopped his hands as he signed. I shook my head and signed. 'Just give him the gun, brother.' I signed.

Dax stared at me incredulously. "You can't be serious."

I arched a brow and and turned back into the tent and retrieved the rifle from Dax's backpack. I walked out and handed Blue Eyes the gun, he took it, studying it for a moment, before passing it back to one of the apes behind him. I then reached into Dax's back pocket and took out the little revolver he had, emptied out the bullets so they tumbled with little thuds to the leaf strewn ground, and handed that too to Blue Eyes.

'Other weapons too.' He signed next. Dax looked away and made a noise that sounded like a mix between a growl and a sigh, annoyed to all hell.

'Oh would you quit fussing? Honestly, just do as they ask.' I said aloud as I signed, getting annoyed with his immature behavior.

"Yeah? Well if they decide to attack what do we do?" He snapped.

I got his machete from the edge of the tent and walked back. 'I assume they have a similar mind set, don't you think? Just comply so we can go.' With that I handed Blue Eyes Dax's machete.

"You want my bow too?" I asked.

The ape nodded. I nodded back and went back into our little tent again and grabbed my bow and quiver of arrows and walked back out to the clearing. I stopped in front of Blue Eyes and hesitated to hand him the bow and arrows. These two things were my pride and joy, I made them myself, with a few tips from Dax, but I made it on my own and I didn't make it for anybody but me, and I know that sounds selfish but I've been selfless all my life, and it feels good to be selfish now and then.

I sighed and sucked it up, handing my handiwork to the ape in front of me, keeping eye contact the whole time. His namesakes blinked and he looked away, passing it to a female behind him.

"Please." I said. "Don't destroy the bow. It's very special to me." I kept my eyes downcast as I said so.

I didn't know if anyone acknowledged me, I just hoped. I felt a finger hook my chin and lift my head, and I met Dax's eyes, and he gave me that, "chin up" kind of smile. I smiled back and looked to Caesar.

He nodded his head backward in a beckoning manner, and both Dax and I ran back to the tent to grab our stuff. I pulled my backpack over my shoulder and draped my camera around my neck. Dax zipped up the tent behind me and jogged to my side as I followed the apes as they walked forward. The apes surrounded us, and I could feel their stares boring into me from all angles.

I kept silent and tried to keep my eyes down, but I couldn't help glancing up around me every now and then. I was intimidated by the sheer size of both the group and each individual ape. I was like the runt of a litter, only it was just me in the litter, and being around so many tall and large and strong, intelligent animals was still making me feel smaller than before.

My eyes glanced up again and accidentally met with the blue orbs of Caesar's son. He held my gaze for a few moments as we walked, and after what felt like an hour of just gazing into those sky colored eyes, he signed to me. 'Where did you learn sign?'

'My brother became deaf three years ago. We taught each other. With books.' I signed back, keeping my mouth shut as I jerked my head in Dax's direction.

'He can't hear?' Blue Eyes asked.

'No.'

'But he speaks. I once heard that deaf humans don't speak.' He signed back. Where did he hear about deaf humans?

'Most don't. But Dax lost his hearing when he was sixteen years old, he remembers how to speak.' I answered anyway.

'Weird.' He shook his head.

I smiled and let out a small puff of air through my nose in the form of a laugh. We carried on silently up the mountain until we reached what looked to me to be a stream of lumber. We were at our destination, the loud thundering of the waterfall sprayed up a thin sheet of mist, making the wood damp. We started climbing, Dax first. We walked across the logs, but I strayed closer to the edge, while Dax kept back a bit. I stood on one that was jutting out over the waterfall to look down. I turned around and seen Dax staring at me with an unknown expression, and the apes had stopped and were watching me too. I stood with my heels on the very edge of the log, then waved one hand from my temple and out in a quick 'thank you, govna' motion and stepped off the log and dropped.

"Rain!" Dax screamed.

I had landed on the metal floor of the dam, and was looking up at my brother, leaning on the rail with a smirk. He glared down at me and jumped.

"Rain..." He growled.

I smiled nervously at him, then ignored him and looked up at Caesar and Blue Eyes, who were looking down at us.

"Come on." I nodded my head toward the door in the dam.

"Rain." Dax got my attention again. He cuffed me gently upside the head. "Don't do that again. Scared the fuck outta me."

I held back my laugh and signed 'Sorry.' to him. He sighed and shook his head, smiling.

I tried the knob, but, as expected, it was locked. I sighed and backed away. 'Locked. Dax, would you?' I asked, gesturing to the door.

He walked up to it and kicked the door. The wood was weakened by the constant spray of water, the hinges were rusted and the door fell easily under the force of the kick.

'Nice.' I commented after taking out a lantern. I lit it and walked inside, hearing the footsteps of Dax and the apes as they followed me. I led them down the corridors, following signs as I went. I made it into the main workings room and turned the lantern off, seeing as sunlight trickled in through windows.

I quickly stepped down the stairs and began explaining to Caesar. 'This is what we used to call, a small hydro. It was built to service areas to the North of here, but we've been working to reroute the power lines to the city.' I recited what I knew about this from all my lessons. 'The city used to run on nuclear power but that went down for the count years ago, so we've been using diesel generators and gasifiers. But if I can just get this dam working, then we have a shot at restoring limited electrical power.' I made sure to sign the whole time in case they didn't understand.

"Is any of this making any sense to you?" Dax asked from beside me.

"The...lights." He responded in a whisper-like tone.

I smiled and nodded. "Exactly. This is your home, I know that and I don't want to take it from you, I promise. But if you can allow us to do our work here-"

"You, brought others." The scarred ape spoke up, saying it more as an accusation than a question.

"No. It's just my brother and I. I don't know for sure but I think it's safe to say that a team will be sent to see what's happened to us if we're not done in a week. But I don't know if I can get this whole thing running again in seven days, even with Dax's help." I decided to be honest with them.

"I'm just one girl, there's only so much I can do in so little time. But the sooner I get to work, the sooner I leave." I hoped I didn't just fuck things up. Caesar gazed around the dam for a few moments.

"Can't trust humans!" The scarred one yelled, stalking towards me, Dax was immediately by my side pulling me behind him.

"Koba." Caesar snapped, and the scarred ape, Koba, stopped right in his tracks.

I stepped out from behind my overprotective brother and faced Caesar again. "We're not a threat." I didn't sign this time, because I didn't want Dax to know what I was about to say, and I knew he wouldn't be able to read my lips at this angle. "If we are then you can just kill me now."

Caesar stared into my eyes for a long time, weighing the truth of my words. I sat still and waited patiently, trying not to squirm under all the eyes on me. I was worried they were going to reject us. What do we do then? They took our weapons. My fear was festering as the silence grew longer.

The great leader gazed into my hazel eyes for a long time, his face masked from emotion. I focused on my breathing, in and out, in and out, as I stared into the ape's green eyes. Then finally, he spoke.

"You...can stay." He said. Some of the apes looked at him, but none protested accept for Koba.

'Caesar, no!' He signed angrily before growling and turning to leave. Caesar watched the scarred ape go, a glare in his eyes. But when he turned back to us, the glare was gone.

'Thank you, Caesar.' I said and signed.

He nodded and made eye contact with a few of his apes, before sweeping his arm out in a 'you can go' manner. Three left, leaving Caesar, Blue Eyes, Rocket, a gorilla and a large bronze colored orangutan in the dam with us. I didn't know if they wanted anything further, so I slid my backpack to the ground and sorted through it until I found my tool belt.

I secured it around my waist and and clapped my hands together. I turned to my brother. "Let's get started." He nodded and I made my way to the machinery. When I analyzed the wiring to see if I could get the communications system up, and realized it was a no-go, I gave up on communications and moved to a different area and opening the metal panel. I got on my back and slid under with a lantern for light.

The rest of my day was spent there, working on the wiring and things. After what I thought had only been an hour or two, I felt a nudge on my ankle. I slid out and sat up to see Dax looking down at me. I gave him a questioning look.

'Time to head in for the night.' He signed.

I was about to question why, when I looked around and realized that the sun would be setting soon, judging by the small amount of light straining in from the windows. I nodded and collected my tools before closing the panel and dropping my tool belt into the backpack.

"When did it get so late?" I asked, as I shouldered my bag.

Dax gave a thoughtful look. "Give me some time, I'll come up with a smart ass reply sooner or later." I laughed, and looked to where the Orangutan was standing with Blue Eyes, and another chimp.

"We're going back to our campsite, yeah?" Dax asked from behind me.

Blue Eyes nodded, and they led the way out. When we got off the logs outside, I seen Caesar and a few other apes waiting, Caesar on horseback. He nodded to us in greeting and turned the horse around. We started on our way back, once again flanked by apes. I started trailing a little ways behind my brother, exhausted.

When we got back to the clearing, I seen Dax standing frozen, staring at something. I kept my eyes on him as I joined his side, then I looked to where his eyes rested and gasped. The campsite was in ruins. The little tent was ripped to shreds, blankets and tin cooking tools scattered around the clearing, ripped and torn. I ran into the ruins of the tent, and started rummaging. I found what I was looking for and gasped in despair. The food rations we had taken were useless, trampled and eaten. What was left was too dirty to eat. I held up my discovery to Dax as he joined me.

"What are we gonna do?" I looked up at my big brother.

His expression was shocked. "A bear must've found it." He didn't seem to be answering me.

"Well its done it now. That was all the food we had." I sighed, defeated. 'Brother, what do we do? We can't go back without finishing that dam, who knows what Dreyfus will do to me if we do.'

He grabbed my shoulders lightly. "We'll figure something out. I'll take care of you, we'll be okay." He failed at his attempt to be reassuring.

'Without the tent we won't last the night, don't you smell the rain in the air? We'll freeze to death, or that bear will come to finish us off, or some other predator.' Then something else dawned on me. 'Then what happens to mother if we're gone? She can't take care of the baby all alone.' I was panicking. If both Dax and I die, then sooner or later so does my mother.

"Rain, calm down. Don't scare yourself." He tried to sooth me as I chewed on my lip and looked down at the tattered remains of our shelter. "Mother has Malcolm with her. She'll be okay with him around." Dax tried again.

"But you know how stubborn she can be. She probably wouldn't want to accept his help. That woman has a head harder than a rock." I said, looking down.

"She's not an idiot. She knows she has to keep herself alive for the baby inside her. And us." Dax said. That helped a little. Sort of.

"What are we going to do?" I let myself fall onto my ass, pulling my knees up and shoving my face into my arms. "We're gonna die." I sobbed into my arms.

"Rain." I didn't look up at Dax. He repeated himself and I looked up to see Caesar standing beside him.

"Say thank you to our lifesaver." Dax said.

I quirked my head to the side with confusion. 'Caesar has decided to let us stay with the apes.' Dax signed.

I gasped and my eyes widened as they flew to Caesar's green eyes. All I could do was stare at him, mouth gaping like an idiot. This ape had barely known us a day, and yet had saved our lives twice. Confusion, shock and disbelief flowed over me at this ape's kindness.

"W-why..?" I was utterly confused. I was unused to kindness from anyone outside my family. At the colony, I'm a reject. No one gives a damn about me, so why the hell would this person who's not even human care about my well being?

Caesar never answered my question.


	4. Chapter 4

I was exhausted.

 

My head stayed down as I relied on my feet to keep me upright without the help of vision. I picked my way over moss blanketed roots and over depressions. Green was this world. Everything I saw was green and lush and growing and living and I recognized herbs I was familiar with living plentifully here while plants of the same kind were in clay pots fighting for sunshine in the little herb garden my mother and I shared in a pitiful rectangular plastic basin filled up with little clay pots and bowls and cups stuffed with dark soil and sewn with seeds and herbs and the hope of their growth.

 

Dax kept nudging me and touching my arms and shoulders trying to get my attention but I never spared him more than a glance. All I wanted was to stop right here, plant myself with the herbs among the moss beds and sleep for a year or two. But I kept trudging on in the failing light, following the dull thuds of hooves walking over the forest floor and the occasional kick of a pebble as apes on horseback walked on. I was forced to raise my head when we reached a steep hill that needed to be climbed.

 

I dug my fingertips into the soft ground and pulled my small amount of weight upwards, following after our simian saviors. I gasped when I felt a strong tug on my shoulders and turned as Dax took my backpack off me. He put it on his front side as he already had his own occupying the space of his broad back.

 

I gave him a look and held my hand out for it back. He shook his head and continued to climb. I reached out and tried to slide it off his shoulder but he stopped me and shook his head at me again. I rolled my eyes and signed, asking him why he wouldn't give it to me.

 

_"You'll be falling asleep on your feet soon. Let me carry the extra weight."_ He signed back gently.

 

I sighed, sort of annoyed that he wouldn't let me carry my own weight, but I knew he wouldn't let up, and my back was loosening without the burden of the backpack.

 

_"Thank you."_ I signed.

 

He nodded and trudged on. When we made it to the top, a visible path was stamped out on the ground. We followed it until we reached a humongous wood structure. I stopped in my tracks in awe. The great wall towered over me, casting a shadow over my head. At the top, spears were lining the rim, warning anything smart not to come near here. I was shaken out of my reverie when a hand nudged me forward. I glanced behind me and seen it had been a chimp. A chimp with a big spear. It wasn't poised to strike, but i seen it none the less.

 

I walked on, trying to lift my heavy feet. Dax grabbed a hold on my hand as we entered the structure. Beyond the outer wall, we walked down a small passage, and I looked upward when I heard hooting, and seen more chimpanzees and even what looked like a young orangutan moving along the wood sticking out, watching as we were escorted into the heart of the massive building.

 

The passage opened up and the first thing I noticed was the huge boulder that jutted out sort of like the Great Rock from Lion King, though this one was smaller, and the pigment had been washed away by the rains, leaving it a bone-like silver color. Apes were all around, chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and orangutans. I even seen what looked to be a school class in session. A large orangutan was surrounded by younglings, trying to teach them certain signs, though none paid attention. All the younglings were turned, watching as the party brought us in, and I could feel all the pairs of eyes on me and Dax, that I was shocked shy out of my sleepiness.

 

We were lead toward a trail leading up to a great tree, growing on a rock that reminded me of a small cliff. The tree was absolutely massive, and must have been hollow, for I could see fire lights from inside. There was a spiral of logs jutting out of the ground and into the massive tree strongly and densely packed together, leading up and up into the tree. Stairs. We were lead to an opening in the tree, covered by a curtain of vine plants, it was dark inside, and I couldn't see what was here, but then, I heard the clank of rocks striking, and the flash of sparks. Soon the cave like area was lit by a little bonfire. I seen an ape move to another on the other side of the chamber and strike two flint rocks together over a pit full of tinder, surrounded by small rocks. The next fire was going in a few moments, and the chamber was well lit.

 

It was spacious, and had a few gourds hanging from the ceiling in certain places, which clanked together hollowly as they were disturbed. I guessed they were meant to hold water or something like that. The ground was covered in thick patches of moss, and much to my surprise, other parts of the ground looked sandy. The walls were also smooth, as though washed clean by rainfall, but I didn't see how that could of happened. There were also objects hanging from some places in the ceiling. They looked like plates with large upward rims. I soon discovered they were lamps when they too were ignited by the ape with the flint rocks.

 

"You..will stay..here. Safest place." I turned at Caesar's voice.

 

_"Thank you. So much. I don't know how I can ever repay you for this kindness."_ I said and signed respectfully, hoping he could see how much I meant itThis ape had saved the life of me and my brother twice in two days. _I'll never forget this,_ I thought.

 

He gave a brisk nod and gestured to the moss. "Rest. Ape will fetch you...in the morning." He said before turning and leaving, the other two apes following. Dax and I were left alone with our thoughts. 

 

_"Is this a dream?"_ I signed to Dax, suddenly unsure I was actually conscious. He seemed amused and taken aback by my question. 

 

_"I don't think so."_ He signed back. He then moved toward me and put his hands on my shoulders, and pulled me toward the moss. 

 

"Do as Caesar says and sleep. You're exhausted, little sister." He spoke as he guided me. I let him lay me down and watched as he laid down a few inches from me on the moss, as it was large enough to support two, with his back to me. 

 

"Goodnight." He said, not turning to look at me. So I reached over and gave his shoulder a little squeeze and a tap before turning over and staring into the fire that burned around three or four feet away from me. It's warmth radiating over me like a blanket, and I imagined fiery ballerinas and acrobats flying and dancing in the silky flames. I drifted to sleep as the little ballerina twirled around and blew a warm kiss at me at the end of her pirouette.

 

\----the next day---- 

 

I blew a puff of air out through my nose as something soft brushed against the ticklish tip. It brushed my cheek next, but it was warm and sort of cupped my face, and I felt myself lean into the touch. I refused to open my eyes and ruin this nice dream, but my dream eyes were closed too, and I couldn't see who was touching me. 

 

"Rain." 

 

Dax's voice sounded just above my head. I kept my eyes closed, not finding the motivation to open them. The hand returned on my shoulder, and shook me lightly. I let out a quiet, halfhearted moan of annoyance I knew Dax wouldn't hear. He shook my shoulder again. 

 

"Wake up, sister." He said.

 

I opened my eyes slightly and gazed up at him. He gave me a quick smile before it vanished.  "You need to get up." He said, the small deaf accent he had acquired since the explosion that took his hearing coated his words. The accent came on and off.

 

_"Why..?"_ I signed. 

 

He moved his body to the side, and I was left looking at the entrance to our tree cave thing. There stood Blue Eyes, and Rocket, a large orangutan with a flat face could be seen behind the two. I immediately opened my eyes more and sat up. 

 

"Is it morning already?" I asked, speaking to no one in particular. 

 

_"You will eat, then we will take you to the dam."_ Blue Eyes signed. 

 

I nodded. _"Thank you, Blue Eyes."_ I signed back. 

 

We held eye contact and I noticed that he was pretty handsome. For an ape. His sky blue irises bore into my eyes and I was certain the young ape could see into my soul. He had a rather humanoid face, in my opinion, and reminded me sort of like the chimps drawn in a child's book. His expression was a mask of caution, but in those eyes I could see something else I couldn't name. He nodded his head and turned to leave, the vine plants swinging back into place. I could see his shadow on the plants and knew he was waiting for us outside, along with the two who had been with him. I quickly changed out of my stiff, dirty jeans and into a pair of shorts, that being the first thing I grabbed. I knew it probably wasn't the best choice, but the whether here could go from pouring rain to warm sunshine, and right now the weather had taken up the latter. But to be safe I pulled on my jacket over a freshly changed long sleeve shirt.

 

I pulled on my shoes and looked toward Dax. He had a strange expression on his face, accompanied by pink cheeks as he laced his own shoes. When he stood and saw me staring he huffed. "You could of warned me before stripping." He crossed his arms, annoyed. I gasped a laugh. The poor boy must of been flabbergasted! I wasn't that bothered by it, because I knew he had turned away before I could shed my shirt, so I had no real problem with Dax seeing a little bit more of my legs than usual. He was my brother after all, my gay brother at that. What's he gonna do? 

 

Dax asked if I was ready, and when I nodded he opened the curtain for me and I walked out, into the sunshine. Heads turned in my direction, and I immediately froze, staring out at the sea of dark furred bodies. My feet felt like stone, and I felt a blush dust my cheeks. After what seemed like years, most of the gazes shifted elsewhere, and I let out a relieved sigh. After a grunt from Rocket, I turned and followed him and Blue Eyes down to a place to my right, farther into the camp. I found many apes gathering near here, and in front of me I seen meat roasting over spits over crackling fires, and on a long stone slab that I concluded that if it were a table, it would seat twenty people, food was laid out. 

 

There was fruits and vegetables and nuts and berries. I spotted some plants that I was certain did not grow in deciduous forests. But that didn't hold my attention for long, what did was my awareness of all the eyes on me again, and I felt nerves cause butterflies to erupt into a swarm of shy colors in my stomach. Blue Eyes and Rocket paid no attention to the other apes as they lead us toward where Caesar was sitting in front of a fire pit under a rocky overhang with another chimpanzee. 

 

This new ape was female. The first thing I noticed about her was her beauty. Her face was shining with health, and her features were soft and delicate and fit her face well, a small smile played on her lips. Her fur was a shade of black that almost looked blue. Her eyes were a pale, pretty green and when she turned to look at our approach, her smile stayed. 

 

Upon nearing, I realized that the two were not alone, a small ape child was sitting between the two. He seemed very fascinated with his foot at the moment, and I felt a small smile cross my face at the sight of this infant. Blue Eyes sat down on the log next to Caesar, nodding his head to the female, and looking up at Dax and I. I seen Rocket encourage Dax to sit down, and he pulled me down next to him. Blue Eyes got up and went down to the slab of rock and I turned my attention to Caesar, who was watching the rest of the apes with a bit if a glare. When I glanced to see, I noticed their gazes were anywhere but me, and that made me feel better. I looked up when I felt a small caress on my arm, and seen the female ape looking at me kindly. 

 

_"Good morning."_ She signed. I smiled at her friendliness. 

 

_"Good morning."_ I returned politely.

 

_"Sleep good?"_

 

_"Yes, thank you."_ I signed back, and seen Dax nod through the corner of my eye. 

 

_"What is your name, child?"_ She gazed into my eyes. 

 

_"Rain. This is my big brother, Dax."_ I introduced, even though I had a nagging feeling she already knew. She nodded. 

 

_"I am Cornelia."_

 

_"It's nice to meet you."_ I signed. 

 

_"You as well."_ She returned. After her last hand movement, Blue Eyes returned with two pieces of curved bark in his hands. He handed each to Dax and I. When I glanced down, I seen it was a food plate. 

 

"Thank you." I said quietly up at Blue Eyes as I watched Dax sign my words to the ape. He nodded with a grunt and went back to the slab, to get his own I assume. 

 

I picked up a blackberry and brought it to my lips, happy to taste the treat I hadn't gotten in years. My mother and I couldn't plant berry bushes, and it had been almost a decade since I had eaten one. I quickly remembered why blackberries were my second favorite berry, next to strawberries. 

 

When I had finished most of my plate, I felt something strange on my leg. Before I could glance down it was gone and on my arm. I turned my head to see the baby chimpanzee that had been playing with his foot on the ground was now on the log, holding my arm in his tiny hands. He stared up at me uncertainly. I made eye contact with his light blue eyes that reminded me of Caesar's son. 

 

The baby soon got over his hesitation and moved to my lap, and I promptly moved the plate to the log beside me as he made his switch in location. I kept my hands off him, not wanting to startle him. The little ape gazed at my chest, and I waited to see what would happen. The little thing reached out and poked my right breast, and squeaked. I giggled, supposing he hadn't expected the difference from ape breasts. He soon got over it and poked me again, and I hoped he wouldn't make a game out of it, knowing that the flesh would soon become tender. 

 

Luckily, he wasn't interested in my boobs very long, and was now gazing me again. He then reached up and placed his palm on top of my nose. I decided to indulge the small child and puffed my cheeks up with air. He let out a little squeak of delight and moved his hand off my nose and placed both hands on my cheeks. They deflated under his touch and the little ape let out a happy giggle and moved his palm back to my nose. I once again blew my cheeks up with air and when he put his hands on my cheeks, I didn't let the air escape.  He made a confused noise and took his hands off my face, and I let the air leave me. The young child put his hand back on my nose again, and I let my cheeks puff up again. We played this game for a short while, until he decided to climb up and shove his face into my hair. I smiled fondly at the cute thing.

 

_"He likes your smell."_ Cornelia signed to me with a smile. I smiled happily. 

 

_"He's so cute. What's his name?"_ I signed back. 

 

"Haze." Caesar spoke. "My second son." He had a proud tone to him. 

 

I smiled. "Congratulations." I said, seeing as the child was pretty young. (AN: I decided to speed up his birth because I couldn't wait to get him in there) Caesar nodded with fond smile at his child.

 

Dax tapped my knee and I turned to him, he gave a confused expression, and I realized he had missed this part of the conversation. I quickly signed what had been said and he nodded, signing his own congratulations to Caesar. I turned back to young Haze, and he had a lock of my rich brown colored hair in his fingers, playing with it.

 

Blue Eyes got my attention. _"You ready to go now?"_ He signed, pointing afterwards in the direction of the dam. I glanced at Dax and he nodded his agreement, so we bid goodbye to Cornelia and Haze and followed Caesar, Blue Eyes and two other chimps I didn't know to the dam (making a pit stop at the tree cave to retrieve my tools) When we got into the dam, I set to work quickly. 

 

I found my work faltering every now and then when my thoughts took me back to Caesar's clan. I was truly amazed by everything there. The school sessions, the way the apes lived together. I recalled seeing two young females laughing with each other on my way out, and smiling. It had reminded me of my friendship with my mother. 

 

By the time I felt Dax nudge my ankle with his foot, I was in two worlds. I slid out from under where I was working, and looked up at him in confusion. There was still good sunlight filtering in through the high windows, there was still another half hour at least of time to work. 

 

_"Time to go."_ He signed. 

 

"So early?" I asked, standing up. 

 

_"They'd like to be back by dinner."_ He signed.

 

I nodded and packed my stuff into my tool belt. I let Dax lead me down and out to where Caesar and Blue eyes waited. I seen more apes farther away, and I supposed we'd be following them back to the clan. 

 

"We go now." Caesar spoke. I didn't interpret for Dax, knowing he got the gist, and nodded at Caesar. They led the way through the forest, Dax and I close behind. Suddenly they both stopped and looked down the path we were walking on. Everyone fell silent as we gazed down the tan bark and soil path, sounds of the forest ceasing, as if the trees were listening. I heard what they heard, mumbling and grumbling coming from down the path. Human. 

 

_"Someone's coming."_ I signed for Dax before turning to the two ape escorts. _"I really think you should get to the trees. I have a bad feeling."_ I felt my stomach twist inside me as I turned back to the path. I heard nothing behind me but I grunt or two above me, and I gave silent thanks that the apes headed my warning. 

 

When I turned back, I could see a figure moving slowly toward us, toting a backpack. When the figure got closer, I knew who it was, and felt fear rake it's claws over my body. I recognized the older boy as Drake Nevis. A bully who loved to pick on me. He looked up and stopped when he seen me.

 

"You." He didn't sound happy. At all.

 

I stepped forward. "Why are you here?"

 

He smirked. "I have a message for you." 

 

My stomach dropped for some reason. I didn't want to hear what he had to say at all. Something was screaming in my head to cover my ears and crouch on the ground and make myself small. But I gulped and raised my voice again. 

 

" What is it?" 

 

"Lana Harley is dead." 

 

My whole world froze in place. Drake's stupid face stood statue still with that sneer on his face. He had the nerve to smile while he brought me this news that had to be a lie. I think my brain was shaking its head in denial, because I knew my head stayed stiff and still on my neck. He's lying. He has to be lying. 

 

"What did he say?" Dax's voice said behind my ear desperately. "Rain, I read his lips wrong. What did he say?" He didn't read Drake's lips wrong.

 

I felt myself turn to Dax. I couldn't tell him. I couldn't control my hands. It was like I was watching my body from the outside, but at the same time I knew I was in my body because I could feel this burning, smoldering, blazing, mind breaking pain in my chest. 

 

_"He said..."_ I could barely control my hands as I tried to control my emotions enough to convey this terrible revelation to my poor, strong, deaf brother. _"That mother is..."_ I can't do it. _"Dead."_ I did it. 

My heart sobbed. 

 

"No." Dax whispered. He swayed on his feet and I tried in vein to reach out to steady my brother through the stinging in my burning eyes. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no no no _no_." He fell to his knees. 

 

Dax pushed his forehead into his knees and buried his fingers into the hair at the back of his head. I knew his spine must have been screaming at him as his shoulders trembled with grief and denial. 

 

"Oh, would you get up? Everyone has lost someone, now get up and toughen up, faggot." Drake said, his voice held nothing but annoyance. 

 

"Don't call him that!" I snapped, beyond angry that this man had the nerve to insult my brother like this. I wanted to cry in frustration when I couldn't figure out how to let that anger out. 

 

"What did you say?" Drake growled at me, quickly closing the space between us until there was barely a foot between us. I hoped to God that I wasn't trembling as much as my core was.

 

"Don't call him that." I repeated, determined to defend my vulnerable brother despite my fear. 

 

He grabbed my wrist and twisted it unnaturally, bring me to my knees with a cry of pain. "You don't tell me what to do, _street rat!_ " He yelled. 

 

Drake threw me to the ground, my wrist burning. I had no time to recover because right away he had kicked my gut. I gasped as the air left me and I quickly curled up into a fetal position, my arms over my head. I whimpered when his shoe collided into my shin, a bruise starting to bloom. Kick after kick assaulted me until, finally, it stopped, only for Drake to drag me to my knees by my hair. I let out a squeak and cry at the pain in my scalp.

 

"What's he saying, street rat? Tell me!" He thundered.

 

I opened my eyes to see Dax with his head still bowed, but his hands were raised and signing toward the area where Drake once stood. He was deaf to the sounds of my struggle, and still believed Drake stood there. I quickly tried to follow Dax's movements, and put them into spoken words for this tyrant above me.

 

_"...disgusting. You have the nerve to come up here where you are unwanted and lie to me? Dirty pig! She is not dead. When I go home, mother and Rain will be sitting on the ground braiding beads into each others hair just like always. You're a liar, dirty fucking coward. Liar, liar liar lair liar..."_ I stopped and craned my neck painfully to look up at Drake. "Please...I can't say anymore." 

 

Enraged, Drake threw me to the ground and stomped toward Dax. I stumbled to my feet and grabbed his raised fist in my hands, trying to pull him away from my seemingly grief-delirious brother. "Don't hurt him!" I yelled. 

 

Drake threw me off with a strong shake and I fell to the ground again. He pulled me up by my hair again and slapped me hard. I let out another yelp of pain and terror as his hand connected with my cheek with a stinging crack. My head jerked to the side and I quickly looked back up at him, scared of what he would choose to do next. After two seconds of eye contact, he seemed to grow angrier and threw me down hard into the soil. 

 

"Don't look at me, Freak Eyes!" He yelled. I quickly snapped my face toward the ground, listening for his approach. He thrust his foot into my gut again and I coughed. I risked a glance up and seen he had walked a few steps away.

 

"That's all I had to say. Hurry up with that dam would you?" His tone was completely different now, like he had simply patted my shoulder instead of beaten me. 

 

I allowed myself to sit up a bit and call after him. "We'll be back in a few days." 

 

He stopped, and my stomach dropped. "Now, see, you won't be back in a few days." He turned around but stayed in place. 

 

"Wha-what are you talking about?" I said, a cough following my words. 

 

"I mean, since the fag over there is over eighteen, he can do whatever the hell he wants. But you, on the other hand, are still a minor. With no parent or legal guardian, you belong to all of us now. And guess what? We don't want you." He growled the last part. 

 

"So when you're done up in this wasteland, go do us all a favor and jump off a cliff." He grunted, turning and walked away. I sobbed, and stared down and my hands, which were littered with dirt. The sound of a sniffle found my ears and I turned to see Dax sitting on his butt with his face buried in his drawn up legs. I got to my feet, sore as ever, and dropped myself beside my brother. I wiggled my way into his embrace and all at once we clung to each other tightly.

 

It was in that moment I let myself really register the fact. My mother is dead, and I have no home.

 


	5. Chapter 5

I was exhausted.

 

My head stayed down as I relied on my feet to keep me upright without the help of vision. I picked my way over moss blanketed roots and over depressions. Green was this world. Everything I saw was green and lush and growing and living and I recognized herbs I was familiar with living plentifully here while plants of the same kind were in clay pots fighting for sunshine in the little herb garden my mother and I shared in a pitiful rectangular plastic basin filled up with little clay pots and bowls and cups stuffed with dark soil and sewn with seeds and herbs and the hope of their growth.

 

Dax kept nudging me and touching my arms and shoulders trying to get my attention but I never spared him more than a glance. All I wanted was to stop right here, plant myself with the herbs among the moss beds and sleep for a year or two. But I kept trudging on in the failing light, following the dull thuds of hooves walking over the forest floor and the occasional kick of a pebble as apes on horseback walked on. I was forced to raise my head when we reached a steep hill that needed to be climbed.

 

I dug my fingertips into the soft ground and pulled my small amount of weight upwards, following after our simian saviors. I gasped when I felt a strong tug on my shoulders and turned as Dax took my backpack off me. He put it on his front side as he already had his own occupying the space of his broad back.

 

I gave him a look and held my hand out for it back. He shook his head and continued to climb. I reached out and tried to slide it off his shoulder but he stopped me and shook his head at me again. I rolled my eyes and signed, asking him why he wouldn't give it to me.

 

_"You'll be falling asleep on your feet soon. Let me carry the extra weight."_ He signed back gently.

 

I sighed, sort of annoyed that he wouldn't let me carry my own weight, but I knew he wouldn't let up, and my back was loosening without the burden of the backpack.

 

_"Thank you."_ I signed.

 

He nodded and trudged on. When we made it to the top, a visible path was stamped out on the ground. We followed it until we reached a humongous wood structure. I stopped in my tracks in awe. The great wall towered over me, casting a shadow over my head. At the top, spears were lining the rim, warning anything smart not to come near here. I was shaken out of my reverie when a hand nudged me forward. I glanced behind me and seen it had been a chimp. A chimp with a big spear. It wasn't poised to strike, but i seen it none the less.

 

I walked on, trying to lift my heavy feet. Dax grabbed a hold on my hand as we entered the structure. Beyond the outer wall, we walked down a small passage, and I looked upward when I heard hooting, and seen more chimpanzees and even what looked like a young orangutan moving along the wood sticking out, watching as we were escorted into the heart of the massive building.

 

The passage opened up and the first thing I noticed was the huge boulder that jutted out sort of like the Great Rock from Lion King, though this one was smaller, and the pigment had been washed away by the rains, leaving it a bone-like silver color. Apes were all around, chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and orangutans. I even seen what looked to be a school class in session. A large orangutan was surrounded by younglings, trying to teach them certain signs, though none paid attention. All the younglings were turned, watching as the party brought us in, and I could feel all the pairs of eyes on me and Dax, that I was shocked shy out of my sleepiness.

 

We were lead toward a trail leading up to a great tree, growing on a rock that reminded me of a small cliff. The tree was absolutely massive, and must have been hollow, for I could see fire lights from inside. There was a spiral of logs jutting out of the ground and into the massive tree strongly and densely packed together, leading up and up into the tree. Stairs. We were lead to an opening in the tree, covered by a curtain of vine plants, it was dark inside, and I couldn't see what was here, but then, I heard the clank of rocks striking, and the flash of sparks. Soon the cave like area was lit by a little bonfire. I seen an ape move to another on the other side of the chamber and strike two flint rocks together over a pit full of tinder, surrounded by small rocks. The next fire was going in a few moments, and the chamber was well lit.

 

It was spacious, and had a few gourds hanging from the ceiling in certain places, which clanked together hollowly as they were disturbed. I guessed they were meant to hold water or something like that. The ground was covered in thick patches of moss, and much to my surprise, other parts of the ground looked sandy. The walls were also smooth, as though washed clean by rainfall, but I didn't see how that could of happened. There were also objects hanging from some places in the ceiling. They looked like plates with large upward rims. I soon discovered they were lamps when they too were ignited by the ape with the flint rocks.

 

"You..will stay..here. Safest place." I turned at Caesar's voice.

 

_"Thank you. So much. I don't know how I can ever repay you for this kindness."_ I said and signed respectfully, hoping he could see how much I meant itThis ape had saved the life of me and my brother twice in two days. _I'll never forget this,_ I thought.

 

He gave a brisk nod and gestured to the moss. "Rest. Ape will fetch you...in the morning." He said before turning and leaving, the other two apes following. Dax and I were left alone with our thoughts.

 

_"Is this a dream?"_ I signed to Dax, suddenly unsure I was actually conscious. He seemed amused and taken aback by my question.

 

_"I don't think so."_ He signed back. He then moved toward me and put his hands on my shoulders, and pulled me toward the moss.

 

"Do as Caesar says and sleep. You're exhausted, little sister." He spoke as he guided me. I let him lay me down and watched as he laid down a few inches from me on the moss, as it was large enough to support two, with his back to me.

 

"Goodnight." He said, not turning to look at me. So I reached over and gave his shoulder a little squeeze and a tap before turning over and staring into the fire that burned around three or four feet away from me. It's warmth radiating over me like a blanket, and I imagined fiery ballerinas and acrobats flying and dancing in the silky flames. I drifted to sleep as the little ballerina twirled around and blew a warm kiss at me at the end of her pirouette.

 

\----the next day----

 

I blew a puff of air out through my nose as something soft brushed against the ticklish tip. It brushed my cheek next, but it was warm and sort of cupped my face, and I felt myself lean into the touch. I refused to open my eyes and ruin this nice dream, but my dream eyes were closed too, and I couldn't see who was touching me.

 

"Rain."

 

Dax's voice sounded just above my head. I kept my eyes closed, not finding the motivation to open them. The hand returned on my shoulder, and shook me lightly. I let out a quiet, halfhearted moan of annoyance I knew Dax wouldn't hear. He shook my shoulder again.

 

"Wake up, sister." He said.

 

I opened my eyes slightly and gazed up at him. He gave me a quick smile before it vanished. "You need to get up." He said, the small deaf accent he had acquired since the explosion that took his hearing coated his words. The accent came on and off.

 

_"Why..?"_ I signed.

 

He moved his body to the side, and I was left looking at the entrance to our tree cave thing. There stood Blue Eyes, and Rocket, a large orangutan with a flat face could be seen behind the two. I immediately opened my eyes more and sat up.

 

"Is it morning already?" I asked, speaking to no one in particular.

 

_"You will eat, then we will take you to the dam."_ Blue Eyes signed.

 

I nodded. _"Thank you, Blue Eyes."_ I signed back.

 

We held eye contact and I noticed that he was pretty handsome. For an ape. His sky blue irises bore into my eyes and I was certain the young ape could see into my soul. He had a rather humanoid face, in my opinion, and reminded me sort of like the chimps drawn in a child's book. His expression was a mask of caution, but in those eyes I could see something else I couldn't name. He nodded his head and turned to leave, the vine plants swinging back into place. I could see his shadow on the plants and knew he was waiting for us outside, along with the two who had been with him. I quickly changed out of my stiff, dirty jeans and into a pair of shorts, that being the first thing I grabbed. I knew it probably wasn't the best choice, but the whether here could go from pouring rain to warm sunshine, and right now the weather had taken up the latter. But to be safe I pulled on my jacket over a freshly changed long sleeve shirt.

 

I pulled on my shoes and looked toward Dax. He had a strange expression on his face, accompanied by pink cheeks as he laced his own shoes. When he stood and saw me staring he huffed. "You could of warned me before stripping." He crossed his arms, annoyed. I gasped a laugh. The poor boy must of been flabbergasted! I wasn't that bothered by it, because I knew he had turned away before I could shed my shirt, so I had no real problem with Dax seeing a little bit more of my legs than usual. He was my brother after all, my gay brother at that. What's he gonna do?

 

Dax asked if I was ready, and when I nodded he opened the curtain for me and I walked out, into the sunshine. Heads turned in my direction, and I immediately froze, staring out at the sea of dark furred bodies. My feet felt like stone, and I felt a blush dust my cheeks. After what seemed like years, most of the gazes shifted elsewhere, and I let out a relieved sigh. After a grunt from Rocket, I turned and followed him and Blue Eyes down to a place to my right, farther into the camp. I found many apes gathering near here, and in front of me I seen meat roasting over spits over crackling fires, and on a long stone slab that I concluded that if it were a table, it would seat twenty people, food was laid out.

 

There was fruits and vegetables and nuts and berries. I spotted some plants that I was certain did not grow in deciduous forests. But that didn't hold my attention for long, what did was my awareness of all the eyes on me again, and I felt nerves cause butterflies to erupt into a swarm of shy colors in my stomach. Blue Eyes and Rocket paid no attention to the other apes as they lead us toward where Caesar was sitting in front of a fire pit under a rocky overhang with another chimpanzee.

 

This new ape was female. The first thing I noticed about her was her beauty. Her face was shining with health, and her features were soft and delicate and fit her face well, a small smile played on her lips. Her fur was a shade of black that almost looked blue. Her eyes were a pale, pretty green and when she turned to look at our approach, her smile stayed.

 

Upon nearing, I realized that the two were not alone, a small ape child was sitting between the two. He seemed very fascinated with his foot at the moment, and I felt a small smile cross my face at the sight of this infant. Blue Eyes sat down on the log next to Caesar, nodding his head to the female, and looking up at Dax and I. I seen Rocket encourage Dax to sit down, and he pulled me down next to him. Blue Eyes got up and went down to the slab of rock and I turned my attention to Caesar, who was watching the rest of the apes with a bit if a glare.When I glanced to see, I noticed their gazes were anywhere but me, and that made me feel better. I looked up when I felt a small caress on my arm, and seen the female ape looking at me kindly.

 

_"Good morning."_ She signed. I smiled at her friendliness.

 

_"Good morning."_ I returned politely.

 

_"Sleep good?"_

 

_"Yes, thank you."_ I signed back, and seen Dax nod through the corner of my eye.

 

_"What is your name, child?"_ She gazed into my eyes.

 

_"Rain. This is my big brother, Dax."_ I introduced, even though I had a nagging feeling she already knew. She nodded.

 

_"I am Cornelia."_

 

_"It's nice to meet you."_ I signed.

 

_"You as well."_ She returned.After her last hand movement, Blue Eyes returned with two pieces of curved bark in his hands. He handed each to Dax and I. When I glanced down, I seen it was a food plate.

 

"Thank you." I said quietly up at Blue Eyes as I watched Dax sign my words to the ape. He nodded with a grunt and went back to the slab, to get his own I assume.

 

I picked up a blackberry and brought it to my lips, happy to taste the treat I hadn't gotten in years. My mother and I couldn't plant berry bushes, and it had been almost a decade since I had eaten one. I quickly remembered why blackberries were my second favorite berry, next to strawberries.

 

When I had finished most of my plate, I felt something strange on my leg. Before I could glance down it was gone and on my arm. I turned my head to see the baby chimpanzee that had been playing with his foot on the ground was now on the log, holding my arm in his tiny hands. He stared up at me uncertainly. I made eye contact with his light blue eyes that reminded me of Caesar's son.

 

The baby soon got over his hesitation and moved to my lap, and I promptly moved the plate to the log beside me as he made his switch in location. I kept my hands off him, not wanting to startle him. The little ape gazed at my chest, and I waited to see what would happen. The little thing reached out and poked my right breast, and squeaked. I giggled, supposing he hadn't expected the difference from ape breasts. He soon got over it and poked me again, and I hoped he wouldn't make a game out of it, knowing that the flesh would soon become tender.

 

Luckily, he wasn't interested in my boobs very long, and was now gazing me again. He then reached up and placed his palm on top of my nose. I decided to indulge the small child and puffed my cheeks up with air. He let out a little squeak of delight and moved his hand off my nose and placed both hands on my cheeks. They deflated under his touch and the little ape let out a happy giggle and moved his palm back to my nose. I once again blew my cheeks up with air and when he put his hands on my cheeks, I didn't let the air escape. He made a confused noise and took his hands off my face, and I let the air leave me. The young child put his hand back on my nose again, and I let my cheeks puff up again. We played this game for a short while, until he decided to climb up and shove his face into my hair. I smiled fondly at the cute thing.

 

_"He likes your smell."_ Cornelia signed to me with a smile. I smiled happily.

 

_"He's so cute. What's his name?"_ I signed back.

 

"Haze." Caesar spoke. "My second son." He had a proud tone to him.

 

I smiled. "Congratulations." I said, seeing as the child was pretty young. (AN: I decided to speed up his birth because I couldn't wait to get him in there) Caesar nodded with fond smile at his child.

 

Dax tapped my knee and I turned to him, he gave a confused expression, and I realized he had missed this part of the conversation. I quickly signed what had been said and he nodded, signing his own congratulations to Caesar. I turned back to young Haze, and he had a lock of my rich brown colored hair in his fingers, playing with it.

 

Blue Eyes got my attention. _"You ready to go now?"_ He signed, pointing afterwards in the direction of the dam. I glanced at Dax and he nodded his agreement, so we bid goodbye to Cornelia and Haze and followed Caesar, Blue Eyes and two other chimps I didn't know to the dam (making a pit stop at the tree cave to retrieve my tools) When we got into the dam, I set to work quickly.

 

I found my work faltering every now and then when my thoughts took me back to Caesar's clan. I was truly amazed by everything there. The school sessions, the way the apes lived together. I recalled seeing two young females laughing with each other on my way out, and smiling. It had reminded me of my friendship with my mother.

 

By the time I felt Dax nudge my ankle with his foot, I was in two worlds. I slid out from under where I was working, and looked up at him in confusion. There was still good sunlight filtering in through the high windows, there was still another half hour at least of time to work.

 

_"Time to go."_ He signed.

 

"So early?" I asked, standing up.

 

_"They'd like to be back by dinner."_ He signed.

 

I nodded and packed my stuff into my tool belt. I let Dax lead me down and out to where Caesar and Blue eyes waited. I seen more apes farther away, and I supposed we'd be following them back to the clan.

 

"We go now." Caesar spoke. I didn't interpret for Dax, knowing he got the gist, and nodded at Caesar. They led the way through the forest, Dax and I close behind. Suddenly they both stopped and looked down the path we were walking on. Everyone fell silent as we gazed down the tan bark and soil path, sounds of the forest ceasing, as if the trees were listening. I heard what they heard, mumbling and grumbling coming from down the path. Human.

 

_"Someone's coming."_ I signed for Dax before turning to the two ape escorts. _"I really think you should get to the trees. I have a bad feeling."_ I felt my stomach twist inside me as I turned back to the path. I heard nothing behind me but I grunt or two above me, and I gave silent thanks that the apes headed my warning.

 

When I turned back, I could see a figure moving slowly toward us, toting a backpack. When the figure got closer, I knew who it was, and felt fear rake it's claws over my body. I recognized the older boy as Drake Nevis. A bully who loved to pick on me. He looked up and stopped when he seen me.

 

"You." He didn't sound happy. At all.

 

I stepped forward."Why are you here?"

 

He smirked. "I have a message for you."

 

My stomach dropped for some reason. I didn't want to hear what he had to say at all. Something was screaming in my head to cover my ears and crouch on the ground and make myself small. But I gulped and raised my voice again.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Lana Harley is dead."

 

My whole world froze in place. Drake's stupid face stood statue still with that sneer on his face. He had the nerve to smile while he brought me this news that had to be a lie. I think my brain was shaking its head in denial, because I knew my head stayed stiff and still on my neck. He's lying. He has to be lying.

 

"What did he say?" Dax's voice said behind my ear desperately. "Rain, I read his lips wrong. What did he say?" He didn't read Drake's lips wrong.

 

I felt myself turn to Dax. I couldn't tell him. I couldn't control my hands. It was like I was watching my body from the outside, but at the same time I knew I was in my body because I could feel this burning, smoldering, blazing, mind breaking pain in my chest.

 

_"He said..."_ I could barely control my hands as I tried to control my emotions enough to convey this terrible revelation to my poor, strong, deaf brother. _"That mother is..."_ I can't do it. _"Dead."_ I did it.

My heart sobbed.

 

"No." Dax whispered. He swayed on his feet and I tried in vein to reach out to steady my brother through the stinging in my burning eyes. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no no no _no_." He fell to his knees.

 

Dax pushed his forehead into his knees and buried his fingers into the hair at the back of his head. I knew his spine must have been screaming at him as his shoulders trembled with grief and denial.

 

"Oh, would you get up? Everyone has lost someone, now get up and toughen up, faggot." Drake said, his voice held nothing but annoyance.

 

"Don't call him that!" I snapped, beyond angry that this man had the nerve to insult my brother like this. I wanted to cry in frustration when I couldn't figure out how to let that anger out.

 

"What did you say?" Drake growled at me, quickly closing the space between us until there was barely a foot between us. I hoped to God that I wasn't trembling as much as my core was.

 

"Don't call him that." I repeated, determined to defend my vulnerable brother despite my fear.

 

He grabbed my wrist and twisted it unnaturally, bring me to my knees with a cry of pain. "You don't tell me what to do, _street rat!_ "He yelled.

 

Drake threw me to the ground, my wrist burning. I had no time to recover because right away he had kicked my gut. I gasped as the air left me and I quickly curled up into a fetal position, my arms over my head. I whimpered when his shoe collided into my shin, a bruise starting to bloom. Kick after kick assaulted me until, finally, it stopped, only for Drake to drag me to my knees by my hair. I let out a squeak and cry at the pain in my scalp.

 

"What's he saying, street rat? Tell me!" He thundered.

 

I opened my eyes to see Dax with his head still bowed, but his hands were raised and signing toward the area where Drake once stood. He was deaf to the sounds of my struggle, and still believed Drake stood there. I quickly tried to follow Dax's movements, and put them into spoken words for this tyrant above me.

 

_"...disgusting. You have the nerve to come up here where you are unwanted and lie to me? Dirty pig! She is not dead. When I go home, mother and Rain will be sitting on the ground braiding beads into each others hair just like always. You're a liar, dirty fucking coward. Liar, liar liar lair liar..."_ I stopped and craned my neck painfully to look up at Drake. "Please...I can't say anymore."

 

Enraged, Drake threw me to the ground and stomped toward Dax. I stumbled to my feet and grabbed his raised fist in my hands, trying to pull him away from my seemingly grief-delirious brother. "Don't hurt him!" I yelled.

 

Drake threw me off with a strong shake and I fell to the ground again. He pulled me up by my hair again and slapped me hard. I let out another yelp of pain and terror as his hand connected with my cheek with a stinging crack. My head jerked to the side and I quickly looked back up at him, scared of what he would choose to do next. After two seconds of eye contact, he seemed to grow angrier and threw me down hard into the soil.

 

"Don't look at me, Freak Eyes!" He yelled. I quickly snapped my face toward the ground, listening for his approach. He thrust his foot into my gut again and I coughed. I risked a glance up and seen he had walked a few steps away.

 

"That's all I had to say. Hurry up with that dam would you?" His tone was completely different now, like he had simply patted my shoulder instead of beaten me.

 

I allowed myself to sit up a bit and call after him. "We'll be back in a few days."

 

He stopped, and my stomach dropped. "Now, see, you won't be back in a few days." He turned around but stayed in place.

 

"Wha-what are you talking about?" I said, a cough following my words.

 

"I mean, since the fag over there is over eighteen, he can do whatever the hell he wants. But you, on the other hand, are still a minor. With no parent or legal guardian, you belong to all of us now. And guess what? We don't want you." He growled the last part.

 

"So when you're done up in this wasteland, go do us all a favor and jump off a cliff." He grunted, turning and walked away. I sobbed, and stared down and my hands, which were littered with dirt. The sound of a sniffle found my ears and I turned to see Dax sitting on his butt with his face buried in his drawn up legs. I got to my feet, sore as ever, and dropped myself beside my brother. I wiggled my way into his embrace and all at once we clung to each other tightly.

 

It was in that moment I let myself really register the fact. My mother is dead, and I have no home.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Its been two days. We have been given a few days to ourselves to grieve from working on the dam. I was sitting on the log in the eating area with Caesar and his family again for breakfast. I haven't spoken a word out loud, and have been answering questions politely with short, curt sentences. I was picking over my breakfast plate, trying to force myself to eat so as not to offend the apes around me, even though my appetite was as good as nonexistent.

_"You are not hungry?"_ Cornelia signed, but she didn't seem to be talking to me. I turned to see Dax sitting next to me just staring at his food blankly. He didn't see Cornelia sign to him, and just continued to stare at his greens. I knew that look well. I sighed and turned to the queen.

"His head is somewhere else right now. I'm sorry. He doesn't mean any offense." I apologized for him.

_"No offense taken. I am worried you two will not get enough to eat. You don't seem hungry either."_ She signed, glancing pointedly at my own stone dish. I sighed and looked apologetically at her, beginning to raise my hand to my chest to apologize. Cornelia reached out and grabbed my lightly clenched fist before I could sign the word and shook her head with a small smile.

_"You are grieving. No need to apologize."_ I surprised myself with how ecstatic her understanding made me, but I was still unable to give her more than a half smile. But I unfurled my hand and lifted it to my chin.

_"Thank you, Cornelia."_

She smiled kindly at me, but my attention was diverted by a certain baby chimp. I met Haze's bright little eyes as he tugged on my hair, which hung almost to my waist. He gave a pant and a cute little smile before clambering up me, nearly knocking the plate out of my hand as he made his way onto my shoulder, sticking his face into the hair hanging next to my neck. I let out a small laugh before the child moved himself to my other shoulder and doing the same as he did on the other side.

Haze's attention then went to Dax, as though he had heard a noise come from my sulking older brother, even though the older boy had remained still and silent as stone. Haze then made the decision to leap from my shoulder to Dax, nearly falling off as Dax gave a little jump of surprise. Dax quickly cupped his hand under Haze and helped the little ape get a steady hold on his shoulder.

The child made himself useful by exploring Dax like he was a mountain that was in desperate need of ascension and adventure. Haze climbed all over Dax, from exploring his beanie, to his pant leg, to his T-shirt sleeve. All the while Dax sat still and let the chimp use him as a jungle gym. Dax luckily got smart half way through and removed the wooden food dish from his lap as Haze played. Soon the chimp lost his grip on Dax's T shirt he had been clutching as he examined Dax's ears and went rolling down. When Haze rolled down to his lap, Dax lifted both legs upward so the baby wouldn't land on the stone beneath our feet. Haze seemed to love that.

We watched with a smile as my large brother played with this tiny, delicate little child, and had a blast. They played with each other for a little while longer before Haze decided he missed Blue Eyes and toddled over to his older brother, who promptly scooped him up with one arm. We all kept our eyes on the small ape as he panted excitedly to his brother.

_"Haze like new apes."_ The small child signed.

I felt immensely happy and flattered, and Dax and I shared a glance, and though he tried to hide it, I could see in his eyes that it made Dax happy too. The ape family bared their fangs in a smile at the small child's words. After a moment shared by all of us in silence in the glow of the happiness Haze sparked in us, Cornelia turned to me again as Blue Eyes began to try to feed Haze berries.

_"Will you tell me about her?"_ She signed.

_"Who?"_ I asked.

_"Your mother. It might help to talk about it."_ She explained. Dax and I shared another glance, and I took a cleansing breathe.

_"She was a doctor."_ I began.

"And she was short, like Rain." Dax added out loud.

_"Everyone is short to you."_ I said and signed.

"Yeah, but you two were like mushroom short." He said with a grin. I laughed and swatted his shoulder.

_"You're mean."_ I signed to Dax before turning back to the gentle queen. "She had dark brown hair like mine, and she had a light strip right here." I grazed my hand over the area where my mother had bleached in a stripe of blonde hair, framing her face on one side.

"Oh, and she was very empathetic. For example, when we were being assigned living spaces years ago, we were offered one of the best ones, because our mother was an important consultant to our leader, but she turned it down when she seen another mother on the street, trying to feed her three children, and she gave it to that mother and her family." Dax said, his deaf accent coming in a bit at the end.

_"I remember that."_ I said and signed fondly.

"She said something to us after that.. What was it? I can't remember." Dax said, looking questioningly at me. I sat silently thinking back to that day. I was small then, but her words were laying in my memory, waiting to be strung together. I chewed my lip as I thought it over.

_"If you have the power to help someone, use it."_ I recited the sentence she had said as she pulled us toward the family to tell them they had a new home to go to.

"Huh. That really passed us over when we were younger eh." Dax sighed, looking down at his hands.

_"You sure lived up to that philosophy."_ I glanced up from where I had been examining my jeans.

"Huh?"Dax seen my confused look.

"You live up to that sentence." He explained. I tilted my head, not completely grasping his meaning.

Dax sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Come on, don't be stupid, Rain. You almost went anorexic from giving all your food rations to an old woman for so long. I don't ever want to see you that thin again." He growled.

_"First of all, don't growl at me. Second of all, I can't eat my fill when I know there's someone starving just down the street."_ I gave him a slight glare.

_"It's not that I don't like how caring you are. Honestly, I'm really proud of that trait in you, but not when you forget to help yourself."_ He came back.

_"Can we not talk about this now?"_ I asked, hoping for a subject change.

His sigh ended in a chuckle. "We argue a lot, huh?"

I gave a small smile."We're siblings. Of course we do."

Dax pulled me under his arm. "I'm sorry, I should be helping you, not picking fights."

_"Not your fault."_ I replied. _"You're our mother's son. Stubborn."_ That earned us a shared laugh.

"I'm not the only stubborn child of hers." He said out loud with a knowing smirk at me.

"I'm not as stubborn as you, hardhead." I grinned.

He puffed out a laugh and kissed the side of my head. "Well, as stubborn as I may be, you still seem to stick around."

_"Someone has to keep you in check. That's what little sisters are for."_ I pushed his jaw to the side with my knuckles as I smiled at him.

"Whatever you say, Kitten." He said before pushing his forehead against the side of my head. And I pushed his head back with mine like a cat.

_"What are you going to do when you finish the dam?"_ Blue Eyes signed after Dax and I finished our sibling moment. I glanced at my brother, waiting for his answer, but all I got was silence and his thinking face.

"We were thinking of traveling from the end of your territory to wherever we can find to settle. I'm not welcome back at the colony, and we don't have anywhere else to go." I informed the family of my discussion with Dax last night.

_"Not welcome? What are you three talking about?"_ Cornelia signed, looking at Caesar. I sucked in a short, slow, silent breath as I looked toward Caesar. I had thought he would have told Cornelia about what had happened the other day, but now I feared I would be punished for saying the wrong thing. Caesar met his wife's gaze and sighed.

_"The other human banished the girl before he left."_ He signed slowly. Cornelia snapped her head toward me, eyes wide with what seemed to be dismay and placed her hand on my shoulder.

_"Why do humans treat each other like this?" Cornelia asked, seeming genuinely_ curious.

"They don't. People normally aren't treated like me. But I'm seen as a street rat and a freak, that is, whenever anyone notices me. I've never been popular, but Dax used to be really popular. He had a lot of friends, but.. Something happened and most of them left him. Then something else happened and the ones that stayed left then. I'm not normally physically hurt by them, but I do have a bad habit of running into the meaner people." I explained our situation to the queen, whom I was very fond of.

_"What happened?"_ Blue Eyes signed.

I went to avoid the question, but Dax spoke before I could. "First I let people know that I'm gay. And then I went deaf. After that people thought that I'm stupid because I can't hear." I realized then that I must've been signing when I was explaining. With that he excused himself and hurried back to the hollow we had been staying at. I sighed sadly and looked after him.

"Sorry. His hearing is touchy subject. No one ever gave him a chance. He... He doesn't usually act like this. Please don't be angry with him." I said, glancing at the swinging vine curtain. Thinking to how bipolar-ish he had been acting.

_"Poor children. You've had a hard life, haven't you?"_ Cornelia signed.

I looked away. "Life is full of hardship. Sometimes there's just no escaping it."

The apes were starting to disperse from breakfast, seeing as it had started raining. "I should go talk to my brother. Thank you for the food." I said as I excused myself and followed Dax's trail.

When I got inside, I sighed. Dax was sitting at the back of the hollow, facing the wall. I knew he didn't want to be bothered, but I walked over and sat down facing away from him, and leaned my back against his. He stiffened, but relaxed and faced the wall with a huff and stayed silent. We said nothing to each other, but I knew we were thinking about the same thing. Her.

The gap my mother left in my heart was unable to be filled. She was the glue that stuck our little, broken and tattered family together, and now she was gone. Dax has been acting weirdly for the past few days, and it's worrying me. One minute he'll be acting like his normal, goofy self and the next he'll just be...off. Mom would know how to help make him feel better. She knew how make anyone smile. But that's when I realized, there was one person who would never know that, even though they were closer to her then any of us. Her baby.

I spent the next few hours trying to be stone still and quiet like my brother to keep the new tears at bay. But Dax suddenly got up and walked to the vine entrance, almost walking into a fireplace in the process. He didn't look back, didn't tell me where he was going, just kept walking. I gave a little huff and a pout, moving to sit on a moss bed. What did we do to deserve this life? My thoughts were interrupted by the vine curtain opening up slightly. I saw Cornelia looking in questioningly, and I invited her in. She have a smile and sat down a few feet in front of me.

_"Where is your brother?"_ She asked.

I shrugged. "He just walked out. He wants to be alone."

She nodded in understanding. _"How are you feeling?"_ I shrugged, not knowing the answer.

_"You have been crying."_ She noted. My eyes widened a bit and I touched my face, feeling the moisture I hadn't realized had escaped.

"My mother was pregnant." I said numbly.

Cornelia sucked in a gasp, and seemed to understand much more now. She moved next to me and pulled me into a hug. I was rather surprised by the action. This ape barely knew me, I was an outsider and here she was hugging me like I was a long lost family member. But I was grateful none the less, and hugged her back, being very careful of the sleeping Haze in her arm.

"So. Sorry." She whispered, her voice was light and sweet, though there was a hoarse edge to her words, and I knew she didn't use her voice much. I swallowed the emotion in my throat.

"I miss her. I wanted to meet my baby sibling. I couldn't wait to be a big sister." I tried not to sob. I felt a connection between Cornelia and I. I felt I could tell her what was weighing on my heart, and I didn't know how I knew, but I knew that the information would be safe with the beautiful queen.

_"You would have been a good big sister."_ She signed to me, then brushed a finger over my cheek, wiping away the tears. I thanked her for her kind words.

"But what do I do after the dam is finished? Dax has been too out of it to think about this enough, and I'm frightened." I confessed. "I feel terrible that Dax is stuck with me now. He can go back to the colony, I can't."

_"You're brother loves you. I don't think he would ever leave you alone. I've seen it in the way he looks at you."_ Cornelia consoled, rubbing the back of my shoulder.

I nodded with a small smile. "I know he loves me. That's why he yells at me for climbing so much." I muttered to myself.

_"You like to climb?"_ Cornelia asked. I nodded immediately.

"I love it. At first I would only do it to avoid the people on the ground in the city, but now, it's a big hobby." I pulled a small face and shook my head before correcting myself. "A passion."

She laughed at this, and even her laugh was pretty. But it wasn't a mocking kind of laugh, it was the happy kind. Cornelia then patted the top of my head fondly, and I felt a bit like a pet for a moment, but the feeling then washed away.

_"You are a strange human. Not like most I've seen."_ She signed with a smile.

"What are the ones you've seen like?" I asked, curious.

She gave a small sigh, clearing her head. _"Most were odd too, but different then you. Some were mean spirited and loud. But I did live some of my early years with kind humans. They had a big apple tree orchard, and I was happy. But as I got older, I was too much to handle, and they sent me away."_

"You're not bitter toward them?" I couldn't help but ask.

_"No. I understand now why they sent me away. Are you bitter?"_ She asked.

I looked down and shook my head. "Confused and ashamed." Then the memory of Drake's beating came back at the ache of one of my many bruises, and I couldn't help but ask.

_"Is there something wrong with my eyes?"_ I signed slowly, not looking up until a couple of long seconds dragged by to meet Cornelia's green irises.

She stared into my eyes for a long time, the fire light inside flickering over her pretty face. _"I see nothing wrong with them. Why do you ask?"_

I sighed. "One of the names that I'm called in the colony is Freak Eyes."

She hummed in thought. _"I will be back."_ She said, and left me alone in the cave. Soon she returned without Haze in tow, and I realized she had probably dropped him off with someone else to watch over.

" _Come_." She signed.

I did as I was told and followed the ape outside into the drizzling weather for which I was named after. She led me out of the village, past a frowning gorilla, but he didn't do anything to stop us. She led me down the mountain side, and to a little cove in the forest. A little waterfall fed the pool with the cool liquid, flowing down a rocky stream bed toward the river. Moss grew thick and lush on rocks and tree trunks, and wild flowers bloomed in colorful bursts of fragrance everywhere. It was breathtaking.

_"You like?_ " Cornelia signed when she seen my awestruck gaze.

I nodded. "Very much."

"Look here." She led me to a shallow side pool, where the water ran still and clear. She nudged me to lean over slightly and look at the reflection in the crystalline water.

It was like looking into a mirror. I could see my reflection staring back at me, and my eyes widened at the sight of my irises. They looked a light mix of jade and turquoise. I had never seen such color before. I know it seems strange that I don't know what color my own eyes are, but they're hazel. But not the normal kind of hazel, a weird kind of hazel. My irises take on strange colors and much of the time I wonder how it's possible. No wonder they called me a freak.

_"What do you see?"_ Cornelia signed.

I drew in a breathe to clear my thoughts. "An outcast." I answered, and looked away from the girl in the water.

_"That is not what I see."_ Cornelia hooked her finger under my chin and pulled me to look at her. _"I see a gentle creature. A girl with a kind heart."_

I stared at her in surprise and bewilderment. "How do you know?" I didn't mean to be rude (I think she knew that) but I was confused and this ape had only known me for three days, how did she know what kind of heart I have? _I_ don't even know what kind of heart I have.

She only smiled at me. _"I know these kind of things. Trust me."_ We shared a moment of eye contact and I seen no deception in her pale green eyes.

"Thank you." I said, feeling some of the weight lifting from me. She gave me a kind smile.

_"Let's get back. The rain is getting heavier."_ She said, turning to lead me back. I glanced one last time at the beautiful waterfall and wished badly I had brought my camera, though in the long run it would have been a bad idea because of the rain. When we got back to the gate, I seen the same gorilla eyeing me suspiciously as we walked up, as if I could suddenly jump and attack. I kept my head and eyes downcast, trying to portray submission.

_"Hello."_ Cornelia waved.

The gorilla nodded and glanced back at me. _"This is Rain."_ She introduced, and for a moment I felt my stomach drop. This ape could easily break every bone in my body with one hand, but I politely returned the apes nod in greeting.

_"Nice to meet you."_ I signed, praying I wouldn't do something wrong.

_"You as well. My name is Luca."_ He returned, and I felt it would be okay to come closer a step. I felt better when Luca didn't do anything.

_"I must get back to my child and Rain here should get back to her brother."_ Cornelia excused us. Luca and I nodded to each other in goodbye as I followed the queen.

She led me to the cave and said goodbye. I slid inside the hollow and seen some of the lamps had gone out. I lit them and was about to ask Dax how he was feeling now, when I realized I was alone. My eyes scanned the space, wondering if I was seeing things, or...not seeing things...whatever.

But Dax was gone. I immediately felt a rock in my stomach. I was already half soaked from just ten minutes outside, and Dax had been gone for almost an hour. He must be drenched to the bone. What if he left to cry in peace, and on his way back the tears blurred things and he fell or got hurt? Scenarios were running through my head, and my anxiety was growing with every passing second.

Maybe I'm overreacting, and overthinking. That's a possibility right? Of course it is. Maybe he's in the village, talking with a newfound friend or maybe he's with Caesar. I had to know, so I made my way toward the entrance to the hollow and stepped out quickly, but I was stopped by a wall of furry warmth. It knocked me back slightly with my momentum, and when I looked up, I met Blue Eyes' glacial gaze. His fur was slick and darkened by the rain, that was starting to come down in larger showers.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry. Have you seen my brother?" I apologized.

He shook his head. _"He's not with you?"_ He signed.

"No. He wanted time alone so I gave him space. He's been gone for almost an hour and I'm really worried." I explained.

_"You don't know where he went?"_ Blue eyes asked.

I shook my head, getting even more frightened with every second I was unaware if my brothers whereabouts. "I think he went for a walk in the forest. But he could've gotten lost or hurt or something and he's probably freezing cold and knowing him he'll be mad at himself for getting himself into that situation and-" I was cut off when Blue Eyes grabbed my wrists, which were currently burying there fingers into my hair. I chewed my lip as I stared into those blue irises with fear for my loved one. I started to wonder if there was lightning on the way for I could feel it tingling through Blue Eyes' fingertips to my wrists through my bones to my shoulders and down my spine.

_"Calm down."_ He let me go to sign, and the electric like hum I felt vanished, as if washed away by the sky's tears. _"Where were you going just now?"_

"I was hoping maybe he was with Caesar." I said miserably.

_"Let's check."_ He nodded for me to follow him and we quickly worked our way up the spiral staircase. I stood by the doorway, knowing this was Caesar and his family's private home. The rain dripped quickly off the leaves of the great tree and onto me, and I focused on locking my jaw to control the chattering of my teeth.

Blue eyes continued in without a second glance at me and disappeared behind a corner. I turned and leaned against the trunk, looking out at the village below. Most apes had taken shelter, but some continued about their day, not bothered by the falling water. I kept glancing toward the entrance, waiting to see my brothers muscular, shaggy haired form walk through, but there was no sign of him.

I felt a touch on my shoulder and gasped, snapping my head to the side to see Caesar. _"Your sure you don't know where he is?"_ The king signed.

I shook my head and glanced again toward the entrance. _"I think he's in the forest. He wanted to be alone."_

"We will. Check, the Gate." He said and lead me toward the entrance, Blue Eyes falling in step beside me.

When we got there, Luca was standing sentry. Caesar approached him and started signing to him. _"Have you seen the male human?"_

Luca gave a look. _"No. Why?"_

"He's missing."

Luca gave a grunt of surprise. _"How long?"_ Caesar turned to me, about to repeat the question, but I answered before he could.

"An hour now."

_"I will ask Wes. He had shift then."_ And Luca quickly went into one of the holes in the Gate's hall. I was surprised to see some gorillas peeking out curiously from others, and realized many of the holes were dens, and each had a gorilla.

Luca returned with a smaller male. _"Human went that way. Sensed he was grieving."_ The smaller male, Wes, then ducked his head and held up his hand to Caesar, palm upturned. Caesar swiped his hand over Wes's and the gorilla picked his head up again, though he seemed sad.

_"Showed compassion. No need for forgiveness."_ Caesar signed to the young gorilla. He then turned back to Luca and told him to get a search party, naming specific apes. _"Do not let this get out."_ He warned before turning to Blue Eyes.

_"We go search."_ Blue Eyes stepped next to his father.

"Please, let me come with you." I spoke out accidentally. "I promise I won't slow you down." I added.

Blue Eyes stared at Caesar, waiting for an answer and shaking his head slightly at his father. I stared desperately into the ape kings eyes, trying not to fidget. "Please."

He hesitated, than waved me over. I sighed with relief and followed as they ran for the trees. They climbed up the trunks, and I ran up a boulder and jumped into a low tree branch. I quickly hopped from branch to branch, keeping a hand on the trunks at all times, worried about the slick wood under my feet. I glanced at Caesar and Blue Eyes, who were both looking at me with surprise and shock as I managed to keep pace with them. Finally Caesar motioned for me to stop and joined me on a large branch, Blue Eyes moving to the one in front of us.

_"Where did you learn to do this?"_ He asked.

I swallowed my annoyance, not wanting to stop to explain but to keep up my search."This is mostly how I get around back at the colony. I'm not that good with other humans so to avoid them I jump across roofs and fire escapes. Stuff like that." It was hard to keep my impatience out of my voice.

They both gave me a look, but we soon continued on, searching the green forest floor. I had to resist the urge to call out his name, knowing it would do no good, since he wouldn't hear it if we were in hearing range. Our search didn't last long, but I almost missed Dax's form on the ground. When I seen him I almost fell from my branch in surprise. He was sitting on his shins, leaning heavily on a tree. I dropped down into the soft moss, my shoes squelching a bit as I jogged.

"Dax!" I gasped as I crouched beside him. I grabbed his shoulder but he remained still, unconscious. I repeated his name and shook his shoulder, causing him to grain out of his slumber. He squinted his eyes open, his brown eyes looking black against his paled skin tone. His beanie was missing too. Dax's hair stuck to his face and he shivering, completely waterlogged but he was hot to the touch. His lips were pale pink, and I didn't doubt they would turn blue soon enough if he wasn't warmed.

_"Dax, are you okay?"_ I said and signed.

He didn't respond and I got him to his feet with the help of Caesar and Blue Eyes. I took off my jacket and wrapped it around Dax, even though it wasn't anything close to dry. We started the slow process of getting him back to the village. The rain was coming down in something just less than sheets, and the wind forced it right into our faces. Dax stumbled as he walked, and I pressed myself to him to try and keep him steady. When we made it back to the clan, Wes was standing guard. He hurried foreword and heaved Dax over his broad shoulder.

"Go, get. The Obas." Caesar said to Blue Eyes. The young prince nodded and rushed inside the Gates. I whimpered when I seen Dax had fallen unconscious again and hung limply over Wes's shoulder as he was carried inside the village perimeter.

I seen Aria leap down to the boulder in the middle of the yard and point, hooting and pointing to a large hut at the right. Wes hurried inside and I followed seeing many more females and a few males with the same masks and necklaces that the females who treated my wounds days ago wore. I was surrounded by a group of females and herded to the right while Dax was taken deeper into the hut. I struggled to follow him but soon I realized it was futile to fight it, and let myself be taken to a different room.

They laid me down on a comfortable mossy bed and started peeling off my t-shirt and pants and boots. I got uncomfortable when they tried to get me out of my bra and panties, but I struggled, saying that they would dry soon, and the females let me keep my undergarments on. They started patting me dry with fuzzy feeling furs. Among the females helping me, I spotted Deja. She wrapped a large fur around my shoulders and I tugged it closer, nodding in thanks as my teeth finally stopped chattering. Deja moved behind me and started running her fingers through my hair. Two more bonobos joined her, grooming the tangles out of my hair and smoothing much of the water out.

I soon got groggy and tired, the fire place a few feet away warming my shaking bones, and the fingers running through my smoothed out hair didn't help the fatigue either. I couldn't stop worrying about Dax. Was he hurt at all? Why was he so groggy and unresponsive? Did he hit his head? Seeing my big strong brother so weak and vulnerable terrified me, and it was thoughts of him that warded off slumber. Deja seemed to notice, and moved in front of me to sign.

_"Sleep. Need rest."_

_"Scared for my brother."_ I signed back.

_"He's with Aria. Aria head Oba. She'll take care of him."_ Deja soothed, giving me a reassuring smile. I sighed, and nodded. One of the females, er, Obas, as I heard they're called, brought two more large, furs. She draped in over me and gently pushed my to my back.

_"Rest."_ She signed. I finally gave in and closed my eyes, too tired to be surprised by how quickly slumber took me.

 


	7. Chapter 7

I've been in and out of sleep all night. Nightmares plagued me in my slumber, and bipolar insomnia stalked my waking moments all through out the night. I kept trying to get up to check on my brother's health, and the Obas kept having to put me back to bed. Soon Aria had to post guards outside my doorway to keep me inside, each time they insisted that I needed to sleep. They were right, I was half asleep and the half that was awake was groggy with exhaustion.

I woke up again a few minutes before dawn, the sky glowing a mixture of milky white and creamy orange. The sky looked like an orange creamsicle. I sat up again, and one of my Oba guards, Millie, turned and sighed at me, sounding annoyed at this point. I hoped it was just from lack of sleep.

"I want to see my brother." I insisted, knowing the drill. I would ask to see Dax, they would usher me back in, and I would complain internally.

_"You are the most relentless human I have ever met."_ Millie signed, but they led me to the room where Dax was kept. His room was large, and like I had been, he was wrapped in thick furs with a large fire place blazing. At first glance I thought he still hadn't dried, but I then realized it was sweat that slicked his hair and made his skin glisten. Obas were outside the door, keeping watch over him. I rushed in past them and silently dropped to my knees by his head.

My hands hovered over him, wanting to touch him but not wanting to disturb him. Heat radiated off him and I knew he had a fever. Dax was sick. Very sick. I recognized the ailment immediately, remembering the time when Dax had had this once before, and barely survived.

"Not again." I whispered, covering my mouth with my hands, gazing down at him with wide eyed despair. I heard the Obas outside the door shuffling, and I looked up to see Aria walking in on her knuckles.

_"You should be resting."_ She tutted halfheartedly, moving to examine my brother. Dax coughed in his sleep as shivers racked through his body, his skin pale as snow. I ran my fingers through his hair worriedly, chewing my lip as I moved the sweat soaked hair from his face.

"I can't sleep. He's sick." I don't know why I added that. Aria was head Oba (as Deja had said) she didn't receive that status being an idiot.

_"Only seen this once before."_ She signed, and glanced at me, and in her eyes I seen what she hadn't said. _But he didn't survive._

"Pneumonia. He had it once before when we were children. He nearly died." I whispered, voice going hoarse.

_"You know of this illness?"_ She looked at me, and I seen something in her eyes, like an idea starting to form. I think I was starting to catch on. She thought if I knew what it was and had seen it before, then I might be able to treat it. I nodded, raking back in my memory for the remedies my mother had used to save my brother's life.

"Will you let me help treat him? I remember what my mother did, and he got better." The question forced it's way out. "Please."

She looked at me for a long time, minutes dragged out in silent eye contact, all the while I could feel her eyes assessing me. "You are not yet fully well..." She trailed off, but the thoughtful look on her face lifted my heart on wings of hope.

_"We will see what you know."_ Aria finally signed, giving an 'eh, why not?' kind of nod, her blue and white mask made small tinkling sounds as she moved her head. _"What do you have in mind?"_

My face exploded in a smile and I thanked her over and over again, speaking and signing the words quickly before I pulled myself together. "My mother used a lot of teas from different plants. I think we should start with goldenseal tea...and tonight I should make a mullein infusion so it can steep overnight and give it to him tomorrow." I started thinking out loud to the herbal remedies I knew.

I was half cherokee, and my mother's side of the family made it a point to keep certain traditions and beliefs alive, I even speak the language. I'm not fluent, but I can hold my own in a conversation. Dax, mom and I used to speak it around the house, but when Dax went deaf... We didn't even ask him to learn to lip read, that was his choice, and it was hard. Much of the English language looks the same to a lip reader. For example, 'I love you' looks the same as 'olive juice'. There was no way we could ask him to figure out a whole other language that's not even spoken outside the family.

Aria sent one of the Oba's close by to the threshold to get the things I asked for: a pot, goldenseal leaves, a spit for the fireplace, and something to stir with. Aria told me we would have to get the mullein leaves ourselves, as they didn't know much about its medicinal uses. I brewed the tea quickly, counting the minutes by seconds faithfully. Aria handed me a clay cup, and I poured the tea in. Now I had to get Dax up. I turned to my ill brother to rouse him, but I seen that I didn't have to, his eyes were slitted open, watching me.

"You have no clothes on." He whispered coarsely. I looked down and realized for the first time, that he was right. I was sitting there in my black bra and panties. Oops.

_"My clothes aren't dry yet."_ I assumed. _"Here, drink this."_ I moved so he could use my lap as a pillow, and I held his head up for him as he drank the tea from the cup.

"Slowly..." I cautioned as he started gulping it down, he must be thirsty.

"What is this?" He asked as he finished the cup minutes later. I moved in front of him to sign the name of the plant.

He was about to say something, but a coughing fit took him. I moved to sit him up and patted his back as it got more severe, and soon started to sound like choking. He soon calmed down and slipped back into unconsciousness, shivering. I pulled the furs up closer to his chin and stood up. Aria was in the threshold of the room watching me with what looked like a woven basket in her arms.

_"We go get mullein now."_ She signed.

I nodded. "May I have some clothes though?" I asked out loud, wrapping my arms around myself awkwardly. I felt exposed now that Dax had brought my nakedness to attention.

_"Not dry yet."_ She signed, shrugging apologetically.

"I have some in my backpack, but it's in the hollow I've been sleeping in." I thought out loud.

_"Come. We stop there."_ She signed. Somehow I doubted I would be able to avoid being seen. I felt a hand on my arm and turned to see Deja standing beside me, holding a longish fur to me.

_"Cold?"_ She asked. I realized I must have given that impression with the way I was holding my arms. I gratefully took it and wrapped it around my shoulders, holding it closed around my chest. I thanked her with a smile, and her eyes crinkled as she smiled back under her mask.

Feeling better about leaving the Obas hut, I followed Aria outside. The world was glimmering in the sunlight with water from last nights storm. The apes were having breakfast, and I risked a glance up at the place where Caesar's family ate. My eyes were immediately caught by the oldest prince, his eyes held a question, and I looked away, staying close to Aria, not always trusting myself around Blue eyes. His namesakes seemed to do something to my head, freezes it, but makes the rest of me warm.

We made it to my hollow and Aria waited outside the vine curtain. I was surprised the rain hadn't penetrated the vines, but the ground was dry and soft. I moved over to my backpack and pulled on some pants and a long sleeve V-neck. I would have to go barefoot, as my boots were likely still water logged. I strained the water from the tips of my hair, where it had pooled. My hair was mostly a mixture of damp and dry aside from the wet tips. I never knew grooming could do that. Like natures towel drying.

When we stepped into the Gate, I was stopped by Luca who was passing by. _"You don't look so good. Feeling okay?"_

"Long night." Was all I said.

He bid goodbye to us and we continued into the forest. I suggested we look by the old roads, hoping one of the plants that dominated the routes would be the ones I need. We picked up plants and roots and berries as we seen them, bringing back more for the Obas herb supply. Soon we were walking along a winding road, my eyes scanning each leaf, looking for a match to the picture in my head. When I found a clump, I started digging it up from the roots. Aria helped me and with that we put the delicate things in our softness filled basket and moved to return to the village.

"I can carry that for you if you like." I offered.

She stared at me, considering the thought. _"You wish to help Oba?"_ She signed. It took me a minute to respond, trying to figure out what the last sign had been, until I figured out it meant Oba. I nodded.

"You've all done so much for my brother and I. I want to find a way to repay you." I explained my motives.

She shook her head. _"Strange human."_ She signed and handed me the basket. It was lighter than I expected, so I held it on my hip as we walked and ignored Aria's comment. I kept yawning into my hand, still exhausted from the sleepless night. I thought back to Luca the gorilla. He had asked how I was feeling. I found that a bit strange, why would he care? It made me think back to the other kindnesses I had been shown in the past few days. First our lives were saved, then we were given refuge, food, medical help... How would I ever repay them?

By this time we had made it back to the Obas hut I was still in thought. Obas were surrounding Dax, dabbing him with towel-like, short haired furs soaked in water. Some looked up, and my eyes were met with Deja's evergreen irises. She nodded in greeting to Aria and I before turning back to trying to bring down Dax's fever. I winced when he turned his head in his sleep and started coughing hard. A male Oba placed his hand on Dax's neck, trying to offer comfort, and didn't take his hand away until Dax's coughing stopped. I could hear the rawness in his throat, and knew he must have been coughing frequently.

I handed the basket to an Oba who had her hand outstretched for it, and she took it away, I assumed to sort out and organize the herbs. I then made another goldenseal tea for Dax, and woke him again to drink. He grumbled with annoyance but drank as I held his head for him. I looked up at the sound of footsteps and seen Caesar and Blue Eyes standing in the threshold of the room. I turned back to my brother when he started to try to get up. I pushed him back down gently and shook my head at him.

"Needta...help mom wither tools." He grumbled, eyes half lidded. I gasped and tried not to get emotional. He was remembering the times he had helped our mom sterilize her medical equipment. He liked doing that.

_"Mother's not here. Dax, where are you?"_ I asked, signing and speaking.

He looked around and was silent for a little, before seeming to collapse into himself in realization. "Apes..." Dax fell back into sleep, and I took a rag from the water bowl near by and rung it before dabbing his face and neck.

"How. Sick. Is he?" I turned at Caesars voice, but he was speaking to Aria.

_"Bad. Girl says male has had it before. She calls it pneumonia."_ Aria signed. I was going to speak up myself, when Blue eyes crouched next to me, leaning forward to look at Dax. I pouted at the memory of his recent delirium and brushed his sweaty hair from his face.

_"What was he saying?"_ Blue eyes signed to me. _"I missed it."_

I sighed sadly. _"Delirious. He thought he was helping our mother with something."_

Blue eyes stayed silent now, his gaze switching from me to Dax again and again as I helped the Obas care for him, and I tried to fight the blush I could feel coming on from his stares. Dax woke up again about a half hour later, and he seemed more aware this time.

"What's going...on?" He had to pause to cough.

_"Shhh. Don't try to speak. You're sick."_ I hushed him, hating how painful it sounded for him to speak.

"Mom? Has Rain eaten today?" I wasn't sure he had read my lips, but he was looking at my face. I realized his head was in the time when there had been a good chance I would end up anorexic. There had been a famine going on and I had been giving my food to the orphanage that had been built near our apartment.

_"Dax, it's me. Your sister."_ I leaned close to him, willing him to recognize me. He stared up at me confusedly, shaking his head a little as he thought. _"I'm Rain."_

"...Rain?" He seemed to realize his screw up. "Ugh. I'm sorry..." He started coughing again, but this time I was pretty sure he was here now. Maybe.

_"Don't be sorry. Just focus on getting better."_ I said and signed. He started coughing again, and Deja gave him something to help him sleep. I sighed as I listened to his labored breathing. Blue Eyes nudged me with his shoulder.

_"You okay?"_ He eyed me curiously.

I took a deep breath before signing, _"I guess."_

The next few days went on like this, and I refused to leave Dax's side for long. I slept by Dax's head, and was woken during the night often by his coughing fits. I've been using every herbal remedy I could remember and was learning new mixes and remedies from the Obas. I enjoyed working with them, but my happiness was always short lived when I opened my eyes and looked down at the man I was treating.

At first he seemed to be getting better, but then my hope was crushed down by a spike in his fever and his breathing was getting slowly worse. Each day I was watching my brother suffocate, and it crushed me. Visitors consisted of Caesar's family, and once a friend of Blue Eyes, named Ash. He had followed Blue Eyes and Cornelia into the hut to "get a look at the humans" and was quickly shooed away by Blue Eyes. Cornelia later informed me he was more like a nephew to her, thus Blue Eyes' cousin and best friend.

Cornelia and Blue Eyes came daily, and a lot of the time bearing food when they found out I was getting into the old habit of giving my own food to Dax. I picked over my dishes obediently, not wanting to insult or waste the apes' food. But my mind was always on Dax. He was getting worse each morning, and soon he wouldn't eat, his throat being too sore for even the softest foods we could find to give him. So I made sure that if he couldn't get enough food, he'd get enough water.

His furs had to be changed a lot, seeing as he would sweat through them quickly. The first time we changed them, I was a bit mortified to see he had been stripped too, but his boxers had been left on. He got annoyed with that during the few times his head was in the right time, and I helped him wiggle into a pair of pants. Right now his blankets were bunched around his waist, as I was rubbing crushed garlic bulbs into his chest to try and soothe his breathing. A trick I had learned from Aria.

_"How is he today?"_ Blue Eyes asked as he brought me my lunch, a piece of cooked elk, with some berries and a few Brussels sprouts. I washed my hands in a separate water bowl and tore at the meat, placing the tender morsel on my tongue.

_"Not better."_ I signed back miserably, putting the food down after another small bite.

Blue Eyes gave my back a rub. _"Do you want to go somewhere? I don't think it's healthy for you to stay cooped up in here all the time. Mother doesn't either."_ I raised my brow in surprise at his offer. I knew I wasn't a prisoner, but I didn't expect to be able to go anywhere really.

I hesitated, glancing down at Dax. But Aria started signing to him as I was about to refuse. _"Of course she will go with you."_ I looked at her, feeling a bit hurt. Was I irritating them in anyway? They hadn't hinted at it if I was. Aria seemed to pick up on my feelings because she started signing again.

_"He is right. You have done excellent job, but you must take care of you too. Obas will watch your brother."_ The older ape said gently.

"But what if something changes while I'm gone?" I asked, worriedly chewing my lip and glancing down and my brother.

_"Go. Stretch your legs."_ She turned to Blue Eyes without answering my question. _"Make sure she eats that. Doesn't get enough food."_

I sighed and let Blue Eyes drag me away from the hut. He handed me the stone dish and told me to eat. After a bite of the berries, I finally realized how hungry I was, and quickly polished off the food.

"Are we going to the dam?" I asked, as Blue Eyes took the dish from me and placed it on a log near one of the cooking fires as we passed it.

_"Do you only focus on working?"_ He asked.

I snorted lightly, remembering all the mischief I used to get into as a child. "No."

_"Then come on."_ He started walking faster, forcing me to take bigger strides to keep up with the taller male.

"Where?" I asked, but received no answer.

He led me out into the forest and I found he was taking me to the riverside. I looked out at the churning waters out in the middle of the river, and shivered at the thought of going into that sure to be icy water. I seen Blue Eyes' friend Ash waiting on a rock with something beside him, and I gasped in happy delight to see it was my bow and arrow quiver.

_"Show us how it works!"_ Ash signed eagerly. I glanced between him and Blue Eyes, not making a move toward the bow.

"I thought you didn't want us having any weapons..?" I said, wondering if it were a test.

_"We know but..."_ Blue Eyes trailed off.

_"Blue Eyes said you looked sad lately, so the genius that I am thought that it would be cool to see how your weird stick thing works."_ Ash signed, chuckling at his own joke. I grinned in amusement.

"It's called a bow. And that's my quiver. It holds the arrows for me like this." I reached out to take it, keeping my eye on the chimps to make sure I wasn't crossing any unseen line. I strapped the quiver around my waist (I know it goes on your back, but it's much easier for me to just grab the arrows from my waist instead) and took out an arrow, letting the males take it and observe it.

_"What's it do?"_ Blue Eyes signed.

"I'll show you." I held out my hand for it back and Blue Eyes gave it to me. I picked up my bow and strung it, aiming at a knot in a tree a few yards away from us. I pointed it out to the boys and I watched as Ash's head went from me to the tree knot quickly. I checked my aim again and let it fly, hoping it would hit to save myself any embarrassment. Luckily it stuck right into the middle of the knot.

Ash started hooting softly, seeming happy while Blue Eyes stared at the arrow in the tree to my bow. I think he may have been working it out in his head how it worked. I didn't doubt they could do that, these were some amazing animals.

_"Again!"_ Ash signed like a kid. I smiled, happy to demonstrate. I turned my gaze to the river, to the calmer shallower bank. I walked onto a large rock that jutted into the water a bit, and looked for a target. When I seen what I was looking for, I strung my bow and aimed into the water. The next second the bowstring was vibrating with the force of the arrow as it left to impale the lazy looking fish hovering near a clump of reeds. I closed my eyes and gave thanks for the life i had taken. I reached down and pulled the silvery fish from the water, showing the males another use of my bow.

Ash ambled up on his knuckles and took the blue flecked fish from my fingers, Blue Eyes joined his side, examining the way the arrow had pierced through the fish's gills.

_"You're a hunter, then?"_ Blue Eyes asked.

"I've hunted before, when I had to." I replied.

_"What's it like living in a human city? Does everyone have one of these? What kind of animals are there? What is there to do all day?"_ Ash started firing off question after question. Thankfully Blue Eyes seen I was getting overwhelmed with the sudden flood of curiousness, and told Ash to stop.

_"But I want to know."_ He made a whining face.

"I can answer a few." I offered and sat down on my rock, placing the bow in my lap.

_"So what's it like in the city?"_ Blue Eyes signed, letting off on his own curiousness as well. I thought about the question.

"It's...loud. And crowded and more than a bit run down. But we survive. Sort of." I said, having no pride at all for the place I used to call home.

_"Doesn't sound that great."_ Ash signed.

"It's not." I agreed. "Next question?"

_"Does everyone have one of these things?"_ Ash asked next, gesturing to my bow.

I let a smile ghost my face. "No. No one has used one of these seriously for centuries."

_"Then why do you?"_ Blue Eyes signed to me.

"To embrace my heritage. My people used things like these all the time. We lived off the land and took care of the land." I recited the things my mother had told me about my tribe.

_"Heritage? What is?"_ Ash signed.

"I'm a cherokee descendant. My mother's side of the family were very serious of keeping the spirit and culture alive." I said proudly. My heritage was important to me. It's what sets me apart uniquely.

_"What is that?"_ Blue Eyes asked.

"What is what?" I asked for clarification.

_"That word. What are you?"_ He started eyeing me like I was a wolf in humans clothing.

"Cherokee?" I asked. He nodded.

"It's a tribe. Like your ape colony. My people were one of the first humans ever to live on this land. They're all dead now I think. But my mother always told me to remember my peoples' past, so I do." I explained.

_"What kind of animals are there in the city?"_ Ash broke in, bored with the topic.

"Not many. Mostly domestics and unappreciated creatures. Dogs, cats, rats, mice." I counted off. "Life is barely sustainable for humans now. It's even harder for animals now." My shoulders dropped sadly. I have always been greatly dismayed that some animal species were infected by the Simian Flu. I hated watching animals suffer.

_"Sorry..."_ Blue Eyes signed to me weakly, like more than half of his mind was in thought and only a quarter communicating.

_"That's sad. Why so bad there?"_ Ash asked.

"Because we're dying." I answered. "Humans are going extinct. The ones in the city could likely be the very last."

_"Why dying?"_ Ash asked. Suddenly I wasn't so sure I should be sharing this. Was it betrayal? If so, why should I care? They never valued me, never liked me, even before the Simian Flu broke out.

"A sickness. It killed everyone, humans, animals. It was awful." I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down, remembering the days I was about to speak of. I had seven at the time. "Riots, fighting for food and supplies. Soon everyone was dead, and those who aren't are genetically immune to the Flu." I said.

_"That's terrible."_ Blue Eyes signed.

"Yeah, well, humans probably won't last too much longer. But if I can get the dam working, there's a chance they can survive." I said, turning to look at the mountain where the dam was located. It had been days since I'd worked on it, I'd been too preoccupied caring for Dax, and before that, we had been grieving our mother. I'd really dropped the ball.

_"You're still going to work on it? But I thought they kicked you out?"_ Ash signed. I internally sighed, so I guess all the apes knew about that now.

"There are good people there. Children, orphans. When Dax gets better I'm going to finish it for them." I said.

Blue Eyes and Ash exchanged a glance, and I wondered what was on their minds. _"Where did you learn how to use that?"_ Blue Eyes suddenly said, nodding to my bow. I raised a brow for a moment, then let it drop.

"My mom sent Dax and I to a camp that taught about native culture. Learned how to survive in the wild like my ancestors did. I had the time of my life there." I smiled at the memory. It was a lot of fun, and I made lots of friends there. But of course I'm sure they're all dead now, I attended the camp about a year before the Ape Rebellion.

The rest of the day I spent with Blue Eyes and Ash, joking around and talking about our lives. On one instant, Ash asked me what it was like to be human, unable to come up with an answer I asked him what it was like to be an ape, which he promptly replied, _"Awesome."_

_"What's your favorite color?"_ Blue Eyes signed when the sun was starting to set. We would have to leave soon. I looked at the sky, and told them to wait and see. The three of us watched the sky as the sun dipped into the tree tops, spilling shadows and the last dying rays of sun over us all. Clouds were stained pink and yellow, and started fading into a deep purple. That's when I spoke again.

"That's my favorite color." I said.

We gazed up at the indigo ocean above us until we all simultaneously realized, _shit it's late._ We hurried back to the village, I surprised Ash with how well I could keep up with them in the trees, always just behind them. We split up when we got to the Gates, apparently Ash had snuck my bow and arrows out of their safe place and now he had to return it. Blue Eyes escorted me back to the Obas hut and I immediately knew something was wrong. Obas were watching my brothers room intently and inside many females were crowding around the middle of the room. I hurried in, pushing past the apes to get to my brother, my heart rate pounding.

I heard him before I seen him. He was coughing and breathing at the same time and his eyes stared up at the ceiling with a pained look, one hand clutching at his heaving chest. I dropped to my knees beside of him and as soon as he saw me a reached out and grabbed my hand. I clutched it and looked around, signing for an herb to help him breathe, but no one gave me anything. An Oba signed to me that they had already tried everything. God please no.

My eyes shot down to Dax's when he gave my hand a desperate squeeze. "R-rai-" I stopped him from speaking, not wanting him to waste any breathe he could barely inhale.

"This...i-is it for me." He coughed, speaking the words I had been terrified to admit to myself. Each breath was pained, and they were getting shallower.

"No, no no don't say that." I fought the urge to shake my head as I pleaded, so he could read my lips.

"Rain..." He rubbed my hand with his thumb. "I'm sorry."

"Daxter James Harley don't you leave me." I tried to sound angry, but the words came out mangled with fear and hurt. _"I can't do this without you. I can't do anything without you!"_ I let a tear slip down my eye.

"Y-your stronger than you..think. Braver...smarter. Your going to be...responsible for..beautiful things..." Dax squeezed my hand again, more weakly than last time. I sobbed as another tear slid down my face. Then he said something that completely threw me off.

"What do you..think of our-father?"

I looked down at him. "What?" The hell kind of question is that?

"Answer." He coughed.

"I don't think anything of him. He was never there." I answered honestly.

"You don't...hate him then?" He wheezed.

"How can you hate someone you've never met?" I asked.

"Good..." He nodded to himself. "That's good."Another round of coughing shook him.

"Dax..." I was trying to control my emotions, but they were running away from me and wouldn't listen to my pleas to rein in.

_"Gvgeyuhi, Wesa."_ He whispered. _I love you, Kitten._ I gasped and sobbed almost at the same time at his words. He hadn't spoken cherokee for over three years. More tears spilled from my eyes.

_"I love you too!"_ He had to know that. He couldn't leave me without knowing how much I loved him and how glad I was that he was my big brother. I stared into his chocolaty brown eyes as his breathing got more labored and he lost more and more strength. He didn't have the strength to gasp and suck at the oxygen in the air anymore, and I watched as he took his last breath, all the while staring into my eyes. I watched the life ebb away slowly, and the gaze that had been full of so much emotion, pain, love, pride, sadness...all muddled together in those once bright brown eyes and then sank to the bottom and left his eyes completely. And then he was gone. I let out a choked sob and squeezed his hand, praying with everything I had that he would squeeze back.

I placed my hands on his shoulders and shook them slightly. "Dax! No, no, no please _please!_ Don't do this to me! Come back! Dax! Don't fucking do this to me! Brother! Please, please please..!" I sank into him, pushing my face into the nape of his neck. He smelt like herbs. I couldn't control my tears as I clutched our still locked fingers to my chest. I cried and cried into my big brother's corpse. I felt multiple hands on my body. My back, my shaking shoulders, the back of my neck, the back of my head, everywhere. I paid no mind to the touches as I desperately clung to Dax.

The crack in my heart my mother left, shattered into gleaming dust, right in my chest. The pain overwhelming me was too great, and it was all I could do to cry into my brothers sick-stricken body, begging him to come back to me. He had spoken in Cherokee, I had no idea he even remembered the language. But he did. And he said the words perfectly, like he'd practiced them in his head. I sobbed and my chest ached at the thought. No mother, no father, no brother... I'm all alone.

 


	8. Chapter 8

I buried my face into my arms as I tucked my knees closer to my chest. I was in the hollow I've been staying in, trying to pull myself out of this cloud of misery that's floating over me. I only have the lamps on the ceiling lit, so I was bathed in half light. Suddenly, I felt a weight on my legs, and lifted my head to see little Haze hugging my shins. Dear god this child is adorable. I felt a small smile ghost my face as I watched the baby make his baby noises as he nuzzled my legs with his little head. Haze turned his light eyes on me and let out a squeak and smile when we made eye contact.

"Hello." I whispered to the child. He panted and clambered up and I lowered my knees so he could drop into my lap. He reached up for my hair and started running it through his fingers, still making his baby noises. Haze tied a few strands in a knot, and held it up to me, squeaking triumphantly. I looked down at it and made an "oh" noise when I made eye contact with the child.

I heard a shuffle at the hollow mouth and looked up to see Blue Eyes standing just inside the vine curtain. His shoulders jumped a bit when we made eye contact, like a child getting caught doing something naughty. I nodded to him, inviting him in. He hesitated before slowly coming forward and crouching in front of me, watching Haze play. It was a while before Blue Eyes looked up, making eye contact. _"Would you like to pick a place to lay your brother to rest?"_ He slowly signed. My face dropped. I completely forgot about a burial. It's only been a day, and Dax is still laying in the Obas medical hut.

I nodded slowly. "Thank you." I whispered.

He stayed silent, searching my face with that sky colored gaze. The longer he looked at me the warmer I got, and that fact made me blush more as I looked down. Why is he looking at me like that? I wanted to tell him to stop, but I couldn't open my mouth, the words caught in my throat. I couldn't raise my hands to sign, so they kept rubbing the smooth floor below me. I chewed on my lip as I felt Blue Eyes still gazing at me, burning a hole into my soul. What was he even thinking? I wanted to study the expression on his face, but my neck was locked in place.

Haze seemed to have picked up on the change in the air, and looked from his brother to me over again. He let out a confused mumble and started using my knees as bongos. I had to smile at the child's antics as he leaped from my legs onto Blue Eyes, clambered all over him before hopping back onto me. I giggled when the chimp held his hands over his head in a 'ta-da!' manner. Blue Eyes chuckled too and we locked eyes again, this time less awkward. We shared an amused look before directing our attention back to Haze. The little ankle biter seemed very pleased with himself for lifting the mood.

I stood up, taking Haze into my arms as I did so. He laughed and started looking around at this new height. Blue Eyes stood and I looked up at him, waiting for his next move. He gestured for us to leave and I followed him outside, getting a pleasant surprise when Blue Eyes held the vines open for me to walk through. I nodded and mouthed 'thank you' to him. He lead me to the base of the Tree to where Caesar and Cornelia were waiting. I handed Haze to his mother and she put her hand on my shoulder sympathetically.

_"You ready?"_ Caesar signed to me. I took a deep breath and nodded. With that, Caesar, Blue Eyes, Luca and three other bonobos led me out of the village. Where did they expect me to pick? How did they put their dead to rest? What would Dax want? The happiness Haze had sparked in me wore off, and I was again lost in depressed thought.

Loneliness ached inside my rib cage. I'm the last of my family. Who would have thought the runt would be the only one to survive? I gazed at the forest around me, saw the greenery and life. I wished Dax were here to see it too. I felt like I was in the wrong time. I should be hiking through a place like this with my mom and Dax, taking pictures of everything I saw. Not wandering around looking for a place to bury my brother.

I stopped when we came across a humungous redwood tree. The trunk looked like it could have easily been thirty to sixty feet wide, and it towered into the sky for what looked like it could be miles into the clouds, a beanstalk waiting for a Jack. I looked around at the clearing and noticed large rocks and small boulders lining the area, dusted with light layers of moss. Sunlight filtered down through the canopy, giving a golden shine to the clearing. Greenery grew up all along the ground and between rocks, short soft grass carpeted the ground like a green blanket.

Something clicked in my brain and I knew, this was the place. This was where my brother's final resting place had to be. It reflected my feelings toward Dax perfectly. The tree was like a visible representation of the way he had always been there for me, no matter what. It showed his strength and absolutely rooted in stubbornness when it came to the safety of my mother and I. He had always tried to do the job my father was never there to do.

The greenery reminded me of his kindness and the bright, cheery attitude he had always had. Dax was humorous and a smart ass at times, he knew how to make anyone laugh, just like our mom. Dax had an earthy look to him, and I could see the cherokee in him, even if he was pale skinned. I remembered his warm hugs and the way his eyes would give in to his cheekbones whenever he laughed. He would have made a lucky boy real happy. I sighed sadly at the fact that he never got the chance to find someone to spend the rest of his life with.

I looked to Caesar, who was watching me. I nodded. _"Here."_ I signed. He glanced around the clearing and nodded to me. Luca and the three bonobos moved forward and and the gorilla signed to me, _"Where do you want to set the grave?"_ I moved forward to the foot of the tree and turned back to the apes. _"Right here."_ Luca led the way and he and the bonobos started clawing at the earth. I crouched down and helped, digging my fingers into the soil, uprooting grass plants and marking the earth with a dark scab.

How the fuck am I going to do this? I've never not had Dax there. Sure I've been getting more and more independent, but it just didn't sound right in the slightest thinking that Dax wouldn't be there if I needed him. He's always been there. My knight in shining armor wearing a beanie under his helmet. He's never _not_ been there. I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that he can't be there anymore. What do I do after I finished the dam? When am I going to finish the dam? Looking for a future without my brother in the picture is like trying to look for a diamond in a muddy lake.

Fuck i can't do this. I'm all by myself and I'm terrified of being alone because when I'm alone bad thoughts come to mind and I can't do this alone. Dax and I never got to really talk about what we would do after our work was done. The plan to go into the wilds was looking worse and worse the more I thought about it. I didn't have a tent, for one, and it's not like I can go get another.

Where would I sleep? How would I eat? That didn't bother much, if I got my bow back I'd be able to hunt. But I had no experience hunting animals other than fish. I'd have to work on my stealth big time, there are so many things that can cause noise in the forest. And what about protection? I can't rely on my bow to defend me from predators. It did jack shit when that bear attacked, all it did was piss it off. I guess I could ask for some tips on how the apes make their spears. Those things are intimidating as fuck, so that's gotta help somehow.

My eyes were stinging, and I'm fighting to keep the tears at bay and it's all I can do to keep digging. My fingernails are clogged with soil and we've almost finished. We don't stop digging until it's as deep as Luca's shoulder is high. We've made a good long and wide hole in the ground, and a pile of dirt is mounded on the ground beside us. I sighed and dusted off my hands, turning to look at Caesar to await his orders. The ape king walked to me and crouched in front of where I lay sitting on my shins.

_"Rest."_ He patted my shoulder for a moment before standing and signing to the others with a few grunts. I looked up from where I was staring down into the hole in the ground that would be my brother's occupancy soon to see Caesar sign to Blue Eyes, _"Don't leave her alone."_ Before moving back in the direction of the village with Luca and the three bonobos.

Blue Eyes and I made contact, and I think my insides froze. The silence rang in my ears for a moment before the sounds of the forest broke through the ringing. I couldn't hold his smoldering gaze for long, I couldn't take the concern and pity swimming in his eyes, and I turned my face to the grave once again. It wasn't long before the apes returned, the gorillas carrying a wooden platform with something bundled in a thin fur. I held in a sob as I got to my feet and moved aside, eyes never leaving the body of my beloved brother.

I was surrounded by a group of apes as they gathered to watch the burial. Caesar himself was helping the gorillas carry the weight, and he looked to me once they got to the foot of the grave. I nodded once and bowed my head as I heard Dax's body slide off the wood and into the grave with a thump. A few traitorous tears cascaded silently down my cheeks as they began to sweep the soil over my brother. I felt multiple hands lay down all over my body, and looked up to see many of the apes were touching me, trying to offer comfort. Cornelia's hand lay on top of my head, and she met my tear filled gaze with her green irises.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I looked again to Dax's grave and was surprised at how quickly the gorillas large arms had shoveled the earth over my brother. I whimpered when I realized I'd never feel his hug again. He'd never tussle my hair or kiss my temple as he drew me under my arm. I bit my lip trying to keep the sounds of my inner misery silenced. When the grave was covered, and all that was left to show my brother laid beneath the earth was a black scab on the ground, Deja walked forward, and placed a little bouquet of lavenders, pincushions, and daisies on top of the freshly turned soil. I was touched by the gesture. She glanced at me to make sure it was alright and I signed, _"Thank you."_ To her.

She smiled and nodded at me, retreating from the spotlight attention. There was a moment of silence and I was again touched when they all bowed their heads, me included. Afterwards the group broke apart and the gorillas lead the way back to the village. Everyone followed, leaving me with Caesar's family, except for Haze. I looked up at Caesar.

"Thank you. For doing that for him." I clamped my mouth shut after the words left my mouth and blinked away the tears. I did not want to cry in front of these people. He nodded and heaved out a sigh.

"...may I stay here for a little while longer? I don't...I'm not ready to leave him yet." I worked hard to keep my voice steady.

Caesar thought about it for a moment before he nodded. _"Be back before sunset. Dangerous at night."_ He signed. I nodded my head and thanked him again. They all started their departure and I turned away, eyes glued to the grave. That's where my brother is going to be forever. And soon I'm going to have to leave him. The tears burned my eyes like smoke at that thought, and I went over to the grave and plopped down next to the scab on the earth. I pouted down at it. _Why'd you have to leave?_ I thought.

I bowed my head and closed my eyes. Maybe I could look for another settlement of immune survivors. But how long would that take? I could be on the other side of the country by the time I find any more people. Do I even want to find other humans? From past experiences, humans don't seem to like me very much. And how would I make it through the nights during the travel? I still have no tent, and I was reluctant to go back into the city.

With a sigh, I turned and seen a young redwood. Five minutes later I was sitting in one of its thickest branches, looking up at the late afternoon sky. Today was muggy. It was hot and the clouds were locking the heat like a giant gray quilt. Was my brother up there, in those clouds? Was he with our mother right now? Was he meeting our little sibling? Why couldn't I save him? I've always wanted to be a doctor like my mom, but now I realize, would I even of been good at it? Doctors are supposed to save lives, if I can't save my own brother, how could I expect anyone else to put their loved ones' lives in my hands? What did I forget to do? He got better within days when it was mother treating him years ago. What's wrong with me?

\--hours later--

My eyes flashed open quickly as I jerked awake at a sudden pressure on the nape of my neck. The pressure that I found to be a hand, quickly snapped back. I found myself staring into the wide blue orbs of the ape prince. He had moved back away a little at my sudden movements, but seemed to calm down once I relaxed.

_"Didn't mean to scare you."_ He signed.I found myself surprised that I could see so easily, the moon seemed to be practically dumping light onto us.

"It's okay. I didn't mean to fall asleep." I whispered. I leaned to the left and looked down at the ground with a bit of a surprised expression, not realizing just how high up I had climbed. "How did you find me up here?" I blurted out the question as quickly as it came to mind.

_"Scent."_ He signed. I tried not to blush, thinking back to my last shower days ago. It really was the last, I realized as I remembered my banishment.

"You okay?" He signed. I nodded and glanced down toward the fresh grave below us, then shook my head, then nodded my head. I gave an irritated sigh and shrugged. "I don't even know." I muttered.

"What would you do?" I suddenly asked, looking up to meet his gaze.

He gave me a confused look and signed, _"What?"_

"If u were in my position, if you were all alone and had no where to go, what would you do?" I asked.

He stared at me, and I could see the wheels turning in his head as he thought about my question. His eyes subconsciously roamed over me as I sat stretched out on the strong tree branch, back against the red trunk. I struggled not to squirm and I gave silent thanks when a biting breeze suddenly blew through, so I could blame my blush on the cold. He finally shook his head after another few minutes of silence. It wasn't exactly awkward, it more like difficult and comfortable at the same time.

I liked being in Blue Eyes' company. I felt comfortable around him, like I could trust him. When I looked into his eyes, I seen so many emotions swimming in those sky colored depths, and I was left palpitating and fascinated. Even now, my heart was beating quickly. He's been so kind to me, helpful and providing. And I was shocked and flattered and confused whenever he showed this side of him. I'm not used to kindness from anyone outside my mom and brother, and this always brought a pleasant surprise. Not just with Blue Eyes, but so many other apes I've met have been so kind to me, nervous and weary and some even aggressive at first, but in the end I found they were respectable creatures.

_"Ask Father. He knows everything."_ Blue Eyes signed.

I leaned my head back on the tree trunk. "I'll do that." Then I realized something. "Oh, crap. I was supposed to be back before dark. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to doze off." I said as I started my descent down the redwood. Blue Eyes followed slowly, waiting for me. I wasn't sure why, he could be on the ground by now but he was staying by my side. I felt flattered, and my stomach fluttered. Why am I feeling this way? He's an ape.

An ape with gorgeous eyes and a kind personality and a great sense of humor. Damn it, there I go again. I don't have a crush on him..do I? Of course not, that's silly. Right? I kept up this internal argument with myself for the entire descent. That is, until I slipped and started falling. I let out a cry of fright and grabbed at the bark, but I couldn't find a hold. My stomach dropped out of me and then bounced to my throat when my fall was stopped suddenly with a jolt. I looked up to see that Blue Eyes had caught me. But he didn't stop there, he himself let go of the tree, and I let out another little shout as we fell. I felt Blue Eyes maneuver me in mid air so I was holding onto his shoulders as he held me bridal style. We hit the ground with a thump, Blue Eyes landing on his feet. The momentum we had gained nearly knocked me out of his grip and onto the ground, but Blue Eyes' arms clamped tight around me, and I was very aware of the muscles in his arms as they flexed to keep me in his hold.

He set my legs down gently and nudged me to my feet. I looked up at him, and he gazed down at me, looking amused. _"Be careful, little bird."_ He signed. His face dropped into alarm right away after he signed those words, and he looked away, embarrassed. My brows raised slightly and my lips parted a bit as my cheeks got warm. The butterflies were beating at my insides and my heart started picking up the pace in my chest.

"Why bird?" I asked before I could stop myself. He looked away even more, refusing to meet my gaze, or even look at me. "I don't mind. But why bird?" I repeated. I really didn't. In fact, I found myself liking that he had called me by a nickname. I wanted him to call me that again. _Why am I feeling like this?_ I thought to myself.

He sighed through his nose and looked up at me again for a second, judging whether I was telling the truth when I said I wasn't mad, and then he looked down at my shoes. _"I heard you singing about the bird."_ He signed.

I tilted my head in confusion. "Singing about a bird?" I said to myself, thinking back to when that might have been. Then it clicked. He heard me sing the Ed Sheeran song in that tree almost a week ago now. "Ohh, I know what you're talking about."

Then I gasped a little. "Oh god, you heard that?" I shook my head and looked down. "I'm a terrible singer." I muttered.

Blue Eyes looked at me, now his turn to look confused. _"No you're not."_ He signed.

My eyes got a little wide as I had to look away a little, fighting desperately with the blush on my face. "You think so?" I kept my voice quiet.

There was a moment of eye contact that felt like it lasted a decade, a moment where there was an emotion i couldn't name. I liked it. But the eye contact was broken when his head snapped to the left, as did mine. We had both heard the snap in the woods around us. Something was close by, and watching us. Blue Eyes nudged me in the direction of the village and I complied, glancing toward the noise again. I did a double take when I could of sworn I seen a face. It was dark and a pink scar traveled down over the eye to the snout, the eye shining a blind milky green. The scar seemed to lead a trail to the mouth, were an open mouthed grimace showed a shining fang. The face was gone before I could get another look, and I followed by Blue Eyes' side, thankful of the spear he had picked up from the ground.

We made it back to the village and Blue Eyes stopped me when I went toward the tree to get to my hollow. _"Aren't you hungry?"_ He signed. I glanced to the area where the apes were eating a late dinner. It was almost over and most of the apes had dispersed long ago. I shook my head at Blue Eyes and signed at him, telling him I was tired. He nodded and took me to my hollow.

"Thank you for coming to get me. See you tomorrow?" I said goodbye, halfway inside the vine curtain. He nodded and signed goodnight. I went inside and lit the fire pits, leaving the ceiling lamps off. I laid down and a sob escaped me. The moments with Blue Eyes in the clearing had ended when the mysterious animal was detected, and the journey back was silent. I don't like the silence. It gives me time to fill it up with thoughts of Dax and my mother and my lost sibling I never had the chance to meet.

My whole entire family. Gone. All in a matter of four days. All it took was four days for me to be completely isolated forever from everyone who had ever loved me. _What do I do?_ Question of my fucking life. I've never been so confused before, and no one seems to have the answers I need yet. What if I never find the answers? What if I just left here with nothing but the clothes on my back? How long would it take me to die? Who's going remember me? I'm sure that in a few weeks, I'll be just like a strange dream to the apes.

I drifted into sleep with these thoughts floating around in my mind.


	9. Chapter 9

"Caesar?" I hesitantly got the ape king's attention. When he established eye contact, I looked down, nervous. "I'd like to work on the dam today." I glanced back up to see his whole family staring at me. (Except Haze, who only had eyes for the little caterpillar crawling by his foot)

_"You don't have to work yet. Give yourself time to heal."_ He signed. I was surprised by his sympathy. Didn't they want me out as soon as possible?

"Please. I need something to do. I can't keep thinking about..." I pleaded, looking down again when I found myself unable to say his name. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked down at the breakfast on my lap. I heard Caesar heave a sigh and I looked up at him.

He nodded slightly while signing, _"We will go after breakfast."_

My shoulders sagged as I let a relieved breath, and I signed, _"Thank you."_ After that I focused on trying to eat. I really didn't want to, but I didn't want to waste the food and risk angering the apes.

*time skip*

I was left alone when we reached the dam, and I silently got to work, putting all my attention and ability into getting this hunk of junk running again. I jumped in surprise when I felt a hand on my calf, and turned to see Blue Eyes crouching near me, hours later. I was shocked when I noticed that there was barely any light, and I realized I must have worked the day away again. I pulled the lantern I had been using to light up the panel I was working under out so I could see his signing easier.

_"Getting late. We should head back now."_

I nodded and closed up the panel I had been working on. I cleaned up my tools, placing them back into my tool belt. When I looked up, my head quirked a bit in confusion. "Where is everyone?" It was only Blue Eyes and me inside, normally there were one or two here and there.

_"Had to help with something. Just left."_ He explained.

I nodded and stood up. We made our way out of the dam and off the logs outside. Then it was a silent trek through the forest towards the village. Well, half of it was silent. Blue Eyes heard it just before I did, holding his arm out in front of my chest to stop me. I was about to question the action when I heard a horse's neigh, followed by the thundering of hooves. We were at the side of the trail, so I wasn't worried about being trampled. But I was surprised when a gorgeous dark grey dappled mare could be seen running our way.

I don't know what strange force compelled me to step out in front of a speeding horse and hold my arms up like an idiot, but it did. The horse gave a high bellow as soil flew forward in the wake of it's skidding hooves and the animal reared onto her hind legs, beating at the air with her hooves. Her front legs dropped to the ground with a loud thud and her two front legs continued to leave the ground a few inches as she hopped a few times.

"Shhh. Easy. Easy." I cooed, waiting for the horse to calm down. Her ears flicked to and fro as her bobbed her head uneasily, letting out a high nicker. I risked a step closer, lowering my arms as I neared. The horse watched me suspiciously, but made no advancements. I cooed to her held out my hand, palm up, like I had a treat in the palm. The horse took a step forward, head lowered, sniffing at my fingers. I waited for her to get closer, and when she did, I raised one hand slowly, keeping it in her sight and stroked her broad cheek.

My hand traveled up to stroke and pat her neck as I held her snout in my other hand. "Easy. Good girl. You're a pretty one, aren't you?" I said softly. I bent down and ripped a clump of long grass from the ground and brushed away the roots and dirt before laying it flat in my hand and presenting it to the horse. She dipped her head and her soft lips stroked the skin of my palm as she ate.

Just then, the trees sent a few leaves and needles drizzling onto us, and the mare's ears turned back. I rubbed and patted her neck comfortingly as a band of apes dropped to the ground. The horse was left uneasy by the sudden arrival and fidgeted in place. I shushed at her softly and caressed her, trying to calm her nerves. Out of the corner of my eye I seen an ape signing with Blue Eyes, and I assumed the prince was explaining what I had done. The others merely stood still and watched me interact with the large animal.

An Orangutan approached, keeping his distance from the horse as his eyes moved from the animal to me slowly. He looked familiar but I couldn't figure out from where exactly. I watched to see what he would do, and he held my eyes and signed to me. _"You calm horse?"_

I nodded with a little, "Mm-hmm" and stroked the bridge of the horse's nose. I glanced at her and gave her a light, comforting scratch on the neck as she pushed her face into me. She kept pushing her head into my shoulder that it forced me to take a step back and I gave my full attention to her for a moment or two, to calm her down. When she seemed sated enough, I turned back to the orangutan as he watched me interact.

_"Horse does not listen. Has wild heart."_ He peered at me. _"Horse likes you."_

"Don't know why." I said softly. "Why did she bolt?" I added, wondering what could have caused this beautiful creature to fly through the forest like that.

"Young bloods started wrestling. Spooked horse." He explained. I nodded, and hummed in understanding. I assumed this is what the other apes at the dam had to help with.

A bonobo grunted and started signing to the orangutan. _"We should go. Getting dark."_ The orangutan nodded turned back to me.

" _My name is Maurice."_

"I'm Rain." I returned politely.

_"I'm sorry for your brother."_ He signed.

My face dropped. I nodded and signed thank you. Maurice gestured for me to follow and, not knowing what to do with the horse, I laid one hand on the bridge of her nose and the other on the top of her neck, burying my fingers into her long black mane as I led her back the way she had came from. I was surprised at how easily she complied, but then I supposed it was because of how much less adrenaline must be pumping through her.

I removed my hand from her nose and kept the other on her neck. I became quiet again and tried not to think of my departed brother. Anything else, just not him. I listened to the sounds around me, the footsteps and hoof beats, the sounds of vegetation being brushed aside, the birds singing above my head. I listened to their song, remembering the familiarity of the tones. I haven't heard real birdsong in years, and for almost a week I have been surrounded by it and only now I realized to appreciate it.

When we got back to the village, I still didn't know what to do with the horse. I caught the attention of the most familiar ape, Blue Eyes, and asked him what to do with her. He glanced at the horse, and beckoned me to follow him. The prince led me through the village and to a part of the area I had never been to before. It was a valley snug between two mountain-like hills. A large meadow covered most of it, and a large section was devoted to a pasture, fenced in with logs built into fences. Horses, mostly dark coated, I realized, were gathered in there. And I barely noticed the horses inside a cave scooped into the wall of the right hill. I supposed that was for shelter from the weather.

Blue Eyes opened the gate to the pasture and I maneuvered the horse inside, giving her hindquarters a little slap to get her to move. She trotted inside and turned back as the gate swung shut. She lifted her neck over the fence and bobbed her head toward me, neighing out at me and motoring her lips, annoyed. I motored back at her and lifted my hand up, waiting for her consent to touch her. When she nuzzled my knuckles, I stroked her velvety soft nose. I smiled when she blew air into my face and I blew air back into her nose.

"Go on." I nudged her toward the heart of the pasture, where horses were standing doing their horse thang. Blue Eyes was watching me with a strange look in his eyes during my interactions.

"What?" I asked, getting tired of the odd stare and trying to fend off the blush that tormented me whenever I became too aware of him. Blue Eyes raised his hands to sign but was stopped when a hand clapped my shoulder, and I jumped in surprise and turned to see a young female chimpanzee smiling at me.

_"How did you do that?"_ She signed excitedly. My head quirked in confusion.

"Do what?"

_"Tame horse."_ She pointed to the dappled mare, who had taken some steps away from the fence, watching with back-turned ears. _"That horse is crazy."_ She signed.

I glanced at the mare. "She just seems a little mistrusting." I said. "Does she have a name?" I wondered out loud.

_"No, we call her devil horse for now. She won't accept any of the names we try."_ She peered at me curiously. _"Maybe from you. She seems fond of you. Will you name her?"_

"Really?" I was surprised again. Where was all this kindness coming from? They barely know me! And here this female was asking me to name one of their horses, one of their most beautiful horses at that. But, not wanting to anger her, I agreed to her request.

_"Speaking of names."_ She pointed to her chest. "Lisa." She said out loud.

Her voice wasn't as hoarse as Cornelia's from lack of use, but it was light toned. I smiled politely and pointed to my own chest. "Rain."

_"Lots of you here."_ She joked. I giggled and nodded.

"I've noticed." Right as I said that, it started drizzling.

_"Look, here you are now."_ She laughed at her own joke and I joined in. I officially like her.

_"I'm usually around here. So when you think of a good name for the horse, come find me."_ She signed.

I nodded. "Okay."

Blue Eyes walked up beside us. _"If you ladies are done, I'd like to get out of the cold now."_

_"Yes, O great prince."_ Lisa and I signed (and I spoke as well) at the same time.

We started giggling and sharing glances as Blue Eyes tried to hide his amused smile. I said goodbye to Lisa and followed Blue Eyes back to the Tree.

_"Have you thought about what you're going to do after you finish your work?"_ Blue Eyes signed to me. My face dropped and I let out a sad sigh.

_"No clue."_ I signed back. Blue Eyes glanced at me and I held eye contact until he turned away.

_"Will you look for other humans?"_ He signed. I glanced at his face, but he kept his suddenly stony expression forward.

I sighed after a moments hesitation. "I don't know. I don't think so."

Out of the corner of my eye, I seen him glance at me again. _"You'll figure something out."_ He shrugged. The rest of the walk was silent, and the mood had changed. His question about humans had stirred something, and now I was left trying to figure out what it was. When we made it back to the gathering place, dinner what in session. Cornelia was munching on a stick of celery as she watched Caesar trying to coax Haze into eating a Brussels sprout, but like most human children, he wanted nothing the do with the green ball of vegetation.

I set down my stone food dish in my lap and started placing small bits of veggies in my mouth and watched the family interact. Blue Eyes got Haze's attention and signed, _"Watch."_ As he picked up his own Brussels sprout and ate it. _"See? Good."_

The little chimp looked at war with himself. He didn't seem to think it looked good, but if his big brother said so...it was a feeling I remembered well. Finally after mulling it over while staring at the green ball loathsomely, he picked it up carefully between his index finger and thumb, and took a bite out of it. He chewed slowly, pulling a face as if bracing himself for a nasty taste, but then his features bloomed with surprise and he quickly swallowed and ate the rest of it in two big bites from his little teeth. The family praised their youngest happily on his new food discovery and I smiled.

Haze then seemed to notice I was there out of the corner of his eye because his head shot in my direction and he scampered up my legs and I quickly moved my dish out of the way. When he was in my lap he reached over to my plate and grabbed one of the Brussels sprouts I had put there. Cornelia moved to stop him but ceased her movement when Haze held up the veggie close to my mouth. I realized what he wanted and raised my fingertips to his delicate little wrist to make sure I wouldn't hurt him as I dipped my head down and took a bite out of the sprout. He watched me intently as I chewed and when I swallowed I smiled and signed, _"Yummy."_

Haze threw his arms in the air and panted out a series of little laughs with a wide happy smile. I giggled and signed, _"Yay!"_

_"Good! Good, yummy."_ Haze signed excitedly.

I found it extremely adorable how excited the child was. Over veggies too. I thought fondly. I nodded and signed. _"Yeah."_

Haze then placed his little palm over my nose and I recognized our little game immediately. I indulged him and puffed up my cheeks with air, and when Haze cupped my face, I let the air go. Cornelia didn't let the game go on for long before she tapped Haze's shoulder blade and got the child's attention as he held my face.

_"Enough. Play later, eat now."_ She signed.

He pouted and looked up at me, as if waiting for me to protest. _"Better listen to mother."_ I advised with a shrug and smile.

He pouted, dropping his arms and groaning, annoyed. But he listened and jumped to Cornelia, and she proceeded to feed him his dinner. I set about eating my own dinner and busied myself with thinking up a name for that gorgeous mare. She was unique, the only horse I had seen here who didn't have an ebony or bay colored coat, not to mention her fiery spirit. But I could sense a sweet side in her, so I knew her name had to be unique like her, and it had to roll off the tongue nicely. I thought about the female names I liked and put twists on them inside my head.

Finally I took the one of my favorite names and started playing with it. When I replaced the first letter of the name with a different one, I listened to the ring of it, then moved on to a different one. Finally I came up with a name that I kept repeating in my head, meaning to move on to the next letter but not being able to without thinking back to it. That's how I knew. That was the perfect name for the mare.

My thoughts were broken when four chimpanzees approached, heads down respectfully. I recognized Rocket, and when another glanced up I seen it was Ash. I seen the resemblance between the two and realized Ash must be Rocket's son. Caesar nodded to them with a welcoming smile and they lifted their heads. I then seen Lisa was the third ape, and she caught my gaze immediately. I gave a smile and nod in greeting and she returned the gesture, moving to sit by me. Ash and Blue Eyes then joined her, sitting on the ground in front of us. I supposed they were sitting with us for dinner tonight.

_"Hi, human."_ Ash signed as he set down his dish.

_"Hi, Ash."_ I signed back.

_"So you've met my brother? Doesn't really surprise me."_ Lisa signed.

That's when I realized the resemblance between them, and felt stupid that I didn't recognize it sooner like I had between father and son. I nodded at her sentence.

_"Have you thought of a name yet? Or do you need more time?"_ She signed as we all tucked into our food. As I chewed on a berry, I signed, _"I was thinking..."_ I then finger spelled the name.

She hummed in pleasant surprise. _"Why didn't I think of that? You're a smart human."_

_"You like?"_ I asked.

_"Fits horse perfectly."_ She nodded and patted the top of my head. Once again I felt like a pet puppy for three seconds, but I didn't hold a grudge.

We started talking about what Lisa does with her days. She's one of the horse caretakers. She told me something that put a wide, fascinated smile on my face. Apparently they've started teaching the horses a few basic gestures. Nothing too much, they're not as smart as apes or humans, but a few years ago, the apes really recognized the brain power the horses had as well as muscle power. Lisa was one of the apes that taught the young ones these gestures after they're broken in. She says it's going wonderfully. _"Especially,"_ she added with a sly grin. _"You're devil horse. Very smart. She's even escaped the pasture a few times."_ Somehow that little tidbit didn't surprise me.

She spent the rest of the dinner time explaining about how important her job was, how, now because of her work, apes could manage their horses better during hunts and exercises and things. So much so that Ash got tired of hearing his older sister boast and finally slouched dramatically and signed, _"We get it, we get it. You like horses."_ He and Blue Eyes had a laugh about that, until Lisa cuffed her brother upside the head and gave a flick to the temple to Blue Eyes. Then it was our turn to laugh when they gaped incredulously at her. Out of the corner of my eye, I seen the adults watching us, smiles on their faces. I secretly paid attention to their conversation, while somehow still staying apart of my conversation with Lisa, Blue eyes and Ash. _The wonders of multitasking,_ my mother would of said.

_"Hardly seems human."_ Rocket signed.

_"Is something wrong with her? Is that why they banish her?"_ The female who accompanied Rocket, his mate, I assume, signed.

_"She interacts well with apes. I've been watching her."_ Rocket signed, seeming confused.

_"Apes seem to like her. Surprises me, given some of their past experiences..."_ Caesar nodded.

_"Haze likes her very much. He thinks she is ape. Makes me wonder how she will do with other ape children."_ Cornelia signed, shrugging afterward.

_"It's a shame about her mate."_ Rocket's female signed, giving a sympathetic sigh.

I tried not to feel mortified as I dealt with the pang in my chest at the mention of Dax.

_"Not mate."_ Caesar corrected. _"The male was her brother."_

_"How old is she, anyway?"_ Rocket signed, glancing at me and I quickly cast my eyes foreword. I turned my head back in time to see Caesar answer, _"Young."_

_"Seems around their age."_ Rockets's female pointed out. I assumed she meant Ash, Blue Eyes and Lisa. Ash and Blue Eyes were teenagers, like me, that much was apparent, but Lisa seemed more Dax's age, just getting into adulthood.

_"What will you do with her?"_ Rocket asked Caesar.

He heaved a sigh and I was forced to look away as I felt he was about to look at me. I forced myself to get into the conversation Lisa and the others were having about who's horse could win a race, and I agreed with Lisa that that 'devil horse' could win so it would seem I hadn't just been spying on the adults conversation.

_"Not sure."_ I watched Caesar sign to his friends question. _"What do you think?"_

_"I'll support whatever decision you make."_ Rocket answered. His female agreed.

_"Maurice told me he met her today. Says she did well with the devil mare. Says he sees ape in her."_ Cornelia signed, and I had to hold back a gasp of surprise. They saying I'm hairy or something? I self consciously glanced down at my arm, and seen nothing out of the ordinary. At least not that I could see.

_"Devil mare?"_ Rocket hooted in surprise. _"That thing nipped at me as soon as I got close. That small thing did well? How well? Explain."_

I don't think he looked angry, just skeptical. But then again, aside from actual signing, I don't know how good I am at reading actual ape body language. I also tried to let the 'that small thing' comment go, he was right. I was small.

Rocket's female laughed and patted his shoulder. " _Now, don't get jealous just because a horse likes the human."_

_"Not jealous! Surprised."_ He corrected his mate. I had to fight back a smile, but I didn't have to for long before Ash and Blue Eyes started fighting over a pile of blackberries, and they both started plucking them up one by one and pushing the berries past their lips as quickly as they could before their hands shot out for another, all the while slapping each other's hands away. Lisa and I found it widely amusing as we tried not to laugh too loud.

I momentarily forgot about eavesdropping as the boys messed around. My attention was pulled away by a loud hoot and an arm waving in the air. I, and many other apes, turned to see what Deja was doing, and I soon realized she was waving me down. I tilted my head and signed, _"Yeah?"_

_"Rain! Hi!"_ Was all she signed. I let out an amused sigh and waved back, smiling at her. That was all she seemed to want as she turned away and back to the young apes she was eating with. It was one of the few times I had seen her without her mask on. I immediately felt shy when I seen the apes who's attention had belonged to Deja turned on me, and I lowered my head and looked down at my food. Through my lashes I seen Ash turn slightly and I lifted my head to watch him sign.

_"What? I know it's hard to find a better looking ape than me to stare at, but this is too much. At least take turns"_ The whole group seemed to either break out into laughter or turn away and grumble, annoyed. I couldn't help but laugh too as Blue Eyes clapped his friend on the shoulder for his joke. He seemed rather pleased with himself and i took the moment to thank him.

_"For what? My good looks?"_ He signed jokingly. _"No need to thank, I'm happy to provide."_

We kept laughing, even as Lisa pretended to be annoyed and signed, _"Ever heard of humility?"_ Ash just continued to laugh, paying no heed to his sister's words.

Lisa tapped my shoulder. _"I'd like to try something with the horse. Need you with me for it. Will you?"_ I nodded in agreement and we set down our now empty dishes and Lisa set about leading me back to the meadows before being stopped by Rocket's female, her mother. _"Where are you going?"_

_"To the horses. I want to show Rain to Cloud."_ Lisa signed, nodding at me as her mother glanced at me, than at Rocket. I assumed Cloud was a horse.

_"What do you think?"_ She asked. He looked at Lisa and me, then at Caesar, who remained quiet before signing. _"As long as the boys go with you."_

Lisa pouted. _"Father, no. He'll rile them up."_ She pointed to Ash, who made a point at looking offended in the most dramatic way possible.

_"Getting dark. Need protection if predator nearby. Think."_ He advised his daughter.

_"Nothing hunt horses for years. We'll be fine."_ She argued.

_"Take the boys or not at all."_ He said, turning away from his child, his point final. Lisa groaned with annoyance and turned to her brother.

_"Come on, you little thorn in my side."_ She signed, glaring at her younger sibling. Then she turned and started walking away.

Ash chuckled. _"Looks like I'm doing something right."_ He signed, following his sister.

Blue Eyes gave a puff of laughter through his nose and shook his head, shrugging to me a smile when our eyes met. He gestured me to follow as he grabbed a spear from a little basket sitting by a gorilla. The gorilla grunted and glared at the young chimp, stopping him on his way.

_"What do you need it for?"_ The large primate eyed the prince suspiciously, not seeming to give a damn about the young blood's rank.

_"Going to check on horses."_ I seen him sign as I continued to walk, I paced myself faster until I was just behind Lisa and Ash, who were bickering about something I didn't really care enough to find out about.

I heard Blue Eyes' footsteps as he caught up and joined the three of us. We walked in comfortable silence through the fire lit village behind the bickering siblings, listening as they grunted and huffed half heatedly at each other. When we got to the horses area, i seen the perimeter of the fence was lined with bonfires in dug out pits, a few feet away from the fences so the wood or horses wouldn't get burned. The fires burned brightly and cast a warm glow over the horses. My eyes scanned the herd, and in the sea of dark bodies until my odd hazel eyes landed on a beautiful coat. The mare's body looked like a black silhouette, and her silver dappled cast a silvery sheen off her.

Lisa turned to me. _"This is more of a test for you."_ My brows raised in surprise. What?

_"I want to see what the horse does."_ She explained further. _"So really, this is a test for both of you."_

_"Both? Who else?"_ I signed back, confused.

_"You and your devil horse."_ She grinned, her sour mood from before gone.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Call her." Lisa spoke out loud, gesturing to the horse.

I hesitated before walking slowly up to the fence and folding my arms over the top tier. I kept my eyes on the mare as I lifted my head clicked my tongue a few times. Several horses heads bobbed up from their lowered grazing positions, including the dark dapple mare's. My eyes stayed on her's as she walked foreword, slowly and gracefully, picking up her hooves delicately.

By now, the other three horses who had come at my beckon were hovering near the fence, deciding whether they were interested in me or not. The mare walked up and arched her neck over the fence and leaned forward to nuzzle my hair with her lips before blowing a puff of warm air in my face. I blew air back into her nose as I reached up to pet her cheek.

"Good girl, Zira." I praised, trying out her possible new name. In the end it was the horse who decided the name, it all depended if she would come when called by it. She nickered at the sound of the name, and a little seed of hope grew in me. I gestured for her to stay, knowing she'd know it, and walked down the length of the fence for a little bit until I was about ten feet away.

"Zira!" I called. The horse stared at me, seeming confused before she tossed her head once and gave a short whinny as she trotted over. I smiled widely and lavished the horse with praise in the form of pets and strokes and words.

_"I think she likes it."_ Lisa signed as she and the boys joined me.

"Think so?" I asked through a giggle as Zira leaned foreword and nuzzled my neck, tickling me. I pushed her head away but gave her a scratch under her forelock. I reached my arm foreword and rubbed her strong, graceful neck.

_"I've never seen her so...affectionate."_ Lisa signed, smiling widely, her fangs poking out from behind her lips.

_"It really likes you."_ Blue Eyes signed, in a mute way, almost seeming stunned.

I shrugged and smiled. "I really like her too."

_"I think you should come here more often. We need to use her name with her as often as possible. The other horses learn their names when they're young, she's a little older now."_ Lisa signed. She didn't look very old to me, so I asked,

"How old is she?" Lisa eyed Zira, before answering me.

_"Around four years."_ I nodded and Blue Eyes started signing after a glance into the meadows long grasses.

_"We should go now."_ He was obviously worried about danger stalking through the long grass stalks.

Lisa snorted irritatedly. _"You too? I've been here all night long before and nothing has ever happened. Predators know to stay away."_

_"Still, let's not risk it."_ He insisted. I noticed the way Ash was watching Blue Eyes, as if waiting for a command. It was then I realized the similarity between some of their relationship, and Caesar's and Rocket's. Ash would do anything Blue Eyes asked of him.

Lisa sighed and nodded. _"Fine."_

I turned back to the horse. "Bye, Zira. See you tomorrow."

With that, we started back toward the heart of the village. Ash and Lisa left to their family's home once we got there, and Blue Eyes and I were left in silence. That is, until he started signing when we past a bonfire, giving more light to see by.

_"Have you ever ridden a horse before?"_ He asked. I tried not to skip to conclusions, trying to cap the excited spark that had ignited in me.

"No." I answered. He nodded in acknowledgement and through the corner of my eye I seen him glance at me.

_"Do you..."_ He dropped his hands, stopping his sentence.

"Do I what?" I pushed, my curiosity spiking. He shook his head.

_"Nothing. Never mind."_

"Blue Eyes, what is it?" I persisted.

He glanced at me and I held his eyes until he looked away two seconds later. I kept my gaze on him until he was forced to look back. I nodded at him encouragingly. He gave a short sigh, like he was trying to be irritated.

_"Do you miss living in the city? With the humans?"_ He signed, eyes boring into mine. My eyes widened at his question. Where did that come from? That was the second human related question of the day. I shook my head as we started to climb up to the mouth of my hollow in the big Tree. I stepped half inside, so my left shoulder was draped in leaves. "I miss my family, not the city."

_"Not friends?"_

"I didn't have any. I had bullies, and people who pitied me. That's basically as much as I got from anyone outside my family. I'm an outcast and a freak. Always have been" I concluded, thinking back to my times in elementary school when I had hid from the other kids so they wouldn't pick on me for my strange eyes.

_"Don't see anything freaky."_ He put emphasis on the word 'freaky'.

I gave him a look. _"Don't my eyes weird you out?"_ I was suddenly terrified to hear his answer.

He shook his head and an emotion flashed across his glacial colored orbs. _"My eyes different too. Difference isn't bad."_

My eyes widened at that. No one but my mom had ever said that to me, and it shocked me for some reason to find out she hadn't been the only one to think so. I looked down, then back up and gave him a genuine smile. _"Thank you. I really needed to hear that."_ I signed.

He gave a small smile and nodded, but then his face seemed to drop. _"We're friends, right?"_

I again took on a surprised expression. Did I give off an unfriendly vibe? Jesus Christ I hope not. "Of course I'm your friend." I kept my voice quiet, realizing that most of the apes were probably going to sleep right about now, as there was no one else in sight.

We held eye contact and in that moment I knew if I died now I'd be happy to have my last sight be his fantastic eyes for which he was named, moon light splashed across his face, making those crystalline orbs seem infused with drops of the sky. He nodded and moved a few steps forward, so we were side by side, maintaining eye contact.

_"Good."_ He sighed. _"Goodnight, little Bird."_ Then he walked away, up towards his family's dwelling. _Goodnight_. I thought after his retreating form.

I retreated to my bed of moss after lighting the fire pits. I had a warm, fuzzy feeling inside me waging war with the butterflies tumbling around in my stomach. Why did he make me feel this way? He's an _ape_ for God's sake. I don't even know what this feeling is. Is it just a feeling of friendship I've never felt before or is it just plain attraction? Either way I knew I felt something when in his presence. What the hell is wrong with me? My thoughts stayed on this matter for a while until I tried to force myself to sleep.

That's when my mind entered a reality I did everything I could in the daylight hours to avoid. This state of mind is when my brain remembers that by the end of the day, when the darkness creeps into my mind and my body is surrounded by firelight, that I'm alone. My brother can't be there to hug away the tears of my mothers death, and my mother can't be there to cradle away the shock and denial of my brother's eternal departure. This is when I remember that not a soul in this world loves me.


	10. Chapter 10

I grunted as I cranked a lever multiple times, rust cracking off under my fingers, leaving red dust and dirt all over my hands. I took a deep breath and cranked the lever again, pulling with all my strength. Finally, the jammed lever gave in and lowered almost to the floor as I let out another grunt of strain. As soon as the lever had gone all the way down, a rumbling sound shook the dam and the sound of rushing water filled my ears. I looked up and seen the pipes vibrating and dust and rust falling off as the water jetted through them. My face split into a grin and I ran up a flight of stairs to the main workings room and checked the gages and readings. All working.

"I did it." I whispered to myself. "I did it!" I said louder, backing away from the control desk and leaning my back against the railing behind me, wiping the dirt off my forehead.

A pair of thuds beside me alerted me to the arrival of Rocket and Blue Eyes. Blue Eyes was looking around at the dam as it kicked into gear, jumping slightly at some of the sounds. Rocket, on the other hand, was staring right at me, and I met his green gaze excitedly.

"I did it!" My sentence ended with a girly giggle. I was ecstatic that I was able to complete my assignment, and given the days I had been able to work on it, I had accomplished successful functioning of the dam within four days. I got giddy at the thought as pride washed over me.

_"What does this mean?"_ Rocket signed, I supposed he was asking for clarification.

"The dam is running again. Now I just need to check if it worked. And I can't do that until nightfall." I said. "If it worked, the city will glow." I added, more to myself.

Rocket heaved a sigh. _"Let's get back then, unless there's more for you to do."_

I shook my head. _"Let's go back."_ I agreed with the older ape.

They and the other apes inside lead me out of the dam. One of the younger males, barely even out of child years, even held out his hand for me to help me get across the logs, the little gentleman. I heard an irritated huff behind me but when I looked I seen no clues as to who made the sound. When we had descended the lumber, I thanked the little gentleman, who beamed and nodded before scampering off toward two older apes. I giggled at his cuteness and continued following the apes back toward the village.

I was glad that the apes no longer crowded around me when I was being escorted through the forest, and I was allowed to walk in my own personal bubble of space. We made it half way through the forest to the village when I realized I had forgotten my tool belt in the dam. I had taken it off because one of the tools had been digging into me and I didn't need it once I started the finishing touches on the dam, so I had taken it off. Now it seemed in the midst of my excitement I had forgotten it. I swore under my breath and turned back, only seeing about ten or so apes behind me, luckily one of them being Blue Eyes.

He caught my eye as soon as I had turned around, and signed. _"What is it?"_

"I left my tool belt in the dam. I have to go get it." I explained.

He hesitated before nodding. _"Let's go."_

"You don't have to if you don't want to." I said, remembering how he had missed breakfast this morning and had been with us at the dam all day. He must have been starving, but he could get a snack when we got to the village, going with me would just delay his return. He gave me a look.

_"Don't be silly."_ He shook his head.

"Are you sure? It's not that far, if I run I'll catch up in a few minutes." I persisted. He gave me a strange look. He glanced back at the group, who had kept walking on.

_"I'll wait right here. But take this."_ After he signed that, he took the spear in his hands and snapped it in half with a splintering crack. He handed me the end with the stone tip and nodded. _"Hurry."_

I had to pretend that watching him snap a thick spear in half with nothing but his bare hands while not even having to struggle at all with it didn't phase me, and then I took the spear and nodded. I gave him a smile before turning and jogging back in the direction of the dam. I clambered over the logs quickly, slipping a few times on the damp wood as I made it inside the dam. I quickly retrieved my belt from the cold floor and quickly snapped the belt around my waist, not wanting to be alone in the large, damp and now shaking-slightly structure.

I hurried out and over the lumber outside, walking through the cold spray drifting up from the roaring waterfall. I walked quickly into the leaf carpeted forest floor, into the shade of the massive trees growing lushly around me. I soon felt a strange sensation in my stomach and throat, and glanced around, paranoid. I was being watched. I became hyper-aware of everything around me as a primal prey-fear dripped into my stomach, and my hearing became stronger and my sight sharper. I became a deer. I heard every leaf fall with a dull swish all around me, and jumped every time a squirrel moved through the branches above my head. I chewed my bottom lip as I gripped my half spear tightly in both hands, inwardly debating whether or not I should kiss Blue Eyes later for making me take it with me while another part of me focused on the matter at hand. I breathed in deeply, trying to calm down my nerves when I heard something brush against a bush, causing the thin branches to shake for a moment before settling, and I gasped and whipped my head in the direction of the sound, but seen no cause for the disturbance.

I fought with my fight-or-flight instinct, fear rising from my stomach to my chest, like I was trapped in a glass box that kept filling with water slowly, I left with no seeable way of escaping death. _Don't run, don't run, don't run..._ I repeated the mantra in my head as I allowed myself to quicken my pace a little, now extremely relieved that Blue Eyes had said that he'd stay where we were when i had realized I was missing my belt. I was getting close, but it felt like I still had a mile to go and I was jumping at every sound. My mind started playing tricks on me, and I seen shadows out of the corner of my eye, and I could of sworn I heard a low growl. I knew it was irrational and I was frightening myself, but fear makes it hard to stay calm.

Suddenly, the bushes to my left exploded and a loud roar filled my ears as a paw seeming the size of my face slashed at me, sending me sprawling with a terror filled scream. I rolled to my feet and my hands cupped the area where I was bleeding on the left side of my midriff, and on the rise of my hip bone. I didn't have time to asses myself as my eyes were immediately drawn to my attacker, a tawny furred cougar. It's head was low, fangs bared as the growl I had thought to be a trick of the frightened mind rumbled through the cat's chest, it's yellow amber eyes never leaving mine. It's dark tipped tail flicked back and forth behind it as it slowly circled me, moving closer. I started to slowly side step, following its lead as my eyes flicked from it's blazing eyes to the spear laying where I had dropped it not five feet away and back again. As I made eye contact with the dangerous cat, a new instinct took over me: defend myself. I tucked my chin into my chest and sharpened my eyes, secretly wondering what color they were at this moment as I stared the cat down, working my way closer to the weapon on the ground. My side burned with each step, and I could feel the blood dripping down my skin in hot little trickles that I forced myself to ignore. The animal hissed at me, and without even thinking about it I raised my upper lips, baring my ultimately harmless teeth and hissed right back. _The fuck?_ I thought to myself right after the action.

I made a decision that would either get me killed or save my life, and I tightened my muscles painfully, waiting for my moment. I watched the cat's movements, predicting its steps until I watched it tense and coil, and I timed myself. When the cat let out a screech as it jumped for me, limbs outstretched, ready to lock me in a death grip, I dove for the spear, rolling to my feet and turning on the balls of my feet to face the cat again. It's paws skidded and it let out an irritated growl as it turned and shot itself back at me, giving me basically no time to brace myself. The large predator bowled me over, but before it could sink its claws or teeth into me, I heard a piercing, heart wrenching cry tear itself out of the cat's throat as if the sound were a living creature trying desperately to escape the cougar's body, and the cat fell limp, draping its heavy weight over me. I realized I had instinctively held the spear out defensively, and the spear tip embedded itself into the cougar's chest, no doubt rupturing a vital organ or two. My arms, bulked up with just enough of small muscle to lift the cats shoulders off me for the cats head to loll down limply. It was still alive, staring at me no longer with the eyes of a hunter but with the eyes of a fellow creature, just fighting to keep itself alive. My eyes widened slightly at all the emotion that swam in those bright colored irises. It held no grudge, and neither did I. I watched as the cat gave one last heaving, no doubt painful, breath, and with a heavy exhale it went completely limp, and I was no longer able to hold its weight up.

As soon as the heavy skull dropped onto my chest, I heard a screech tear the air and branches rock violently before a loud thump sounded just feet away from my head. I started shimmying my shoulders to try and get myself out from under the lion as I looked up, seeing Blue Eyes' panicked face. He made a sound that to me sounded like he was saying "ray." And I supposed it was a half hearted attempt to say my name. He rushed foreword and picked the lion up in his arms, the spear going with it as Blue Eyes removed the animal from my body. I would have gawked at the strength he hid under all that fur had my side not been burning angrily. The ape above me threw the lion's body down and it landed with a dull thud. I propped myself up on my elbows and hissed through my teeth at the pain. Four long slash marks marred my tanned skin, and dark red lines of blood trailed down my side. I whimpered as the pain increased, the more aware of the wounds I became. Blue Eyes crouched next to me, panting softly in concern as he viewed my injuries. He reached out to graze his fingertips over one of the cuts, but shot his hand back when I flinched.

_"Knew I should of gone with you."_ He signed.

"Not your fault." I said as I tried to draw my legs under me to stand, wincing and whimpering a bit as I did. Idiotically, I tried to use my left leg to push myself up and when my leg trembled and the pain was too much, I collapsed onto my shins, letting out a small cry and a Cherokee curse was muttered under my breath as I clutched the area around my side. Blue Eyes grunted and placed a hand on my shoulders and shook his head at me, and signing for me to stay down. I sighed and looked up at him apologetically.

_"I'm sorry."_ I signed. He gave me a look.

_"What for? Nearly dying?"_

I huffed out a short sigh. "It's gonna take a while for us to get back to the village."

_"So? What's that got to do with anything?"_

"You must be starving." I said.

_"What?"_ He seemed confused and I got worried when I also seen a hint of anger in those blue hues.

"You haven't eaten today."

_"Are we seriously talking about my diet when you're sitting there bleeding?"_ He signed, huffing angrily.

_"You're not denying it."_ I signed back.

_"So I'm a little peckish..."_ He trailed off when his stomach growled loudly, seeming almost painfully. I raised a brow.

"A little? Really?"

_"Why are we talking about this? I need to get you to the Obas."_ He shook his head, as if clearing the sidetracked conversation from his mind. He then positioned himself so he could help me up easily. I was surprised (though I don't really know why by now) when he didn't strain at all when he hoisted me to my feet. I hung onto him, lifting my left leg gingerly as the blood trails had nearly reached my ankle, a few drops dripped off my knee as I moved. It wasn't flowing quickly, but I was unsure with how long it would take to get back to the village, to safety. Blue Eyes was warm, and my energy was being drained by the shock and adrenaline loss, and I had a strong urge to just cuddle up to the handsome ape and go to sleep. Jesus there I go again. Even when I'm injured and limping I can't keep my teenage girl thoughts away. _The hell is going on with me?_ I inwardly chided myself.

I limped along slowly, looking back at the dead lion and hoping it went in peace, saying a prayer for the life I had taken to preserve my own, the way my mother and brother had taught me. When I finished my silent prayer, I turned back and focused on getting back to the village. We were moving along slowly, and the more I used my leg, the more blood flowed from it, and I was getting worried. Suddenly I was lifted into the air and my right side was pressed against a warm wall, the sudden movement causing me to get lightheaded. When the dizziness subsided, I looked up and blushed slightly when I seen that Blue Eyes had scooped me up bridal style and was carrying me through the woods. Given we were moving much faster now, but I couldn't help but question him.

"What are you doing?"

"Too. Slow. You need. Help." He growled, being forced to use his voice as his hands were a bit preoccupied, and let me tell you, I think I have a crush on his voice too now. I didn't protest, and tucked my chin down and leaned my head against his warmth, hoping he hadn't noticed my blush. Blue Eyes continued through the forest quickly, at one point he sped up so much that I started bouncing in his arms and I flinched at the pain burning my leg. He immediately slowed down again and apologized, and I was left there juggling between telling him it was okay, controlling my inward fangirling over his voice, and dealing with the pain.

By the time we could see the village gates, a gorilla had already spotted us and called for backup, so now several gorillas were approaching quickly. I expected Blue Eyes to put me down but he held me tight. _God please don't blush._ I begged myself silently.

_"What happened?"_ A silverback signed.

"She. Was. Attacked." Blue Eyes explained. Jesus Christ that voice. My thoughts started drifting as I felt my energy depleting quickly, and my head started swimming. If I had been standing on my own I had no doubt that I would have toppled over. I was grateful that Blue Eyes had carried me, though I also had other thoughts on that. But my focus was straying and my vision was getting blurry and my head was pounding. I felt a slight shaking and in the back of my mind I was aware that it was Blue Eyes trying to get my attention, and I tried to force myself to say something, but the words got caught in my throat. I was so tired, and the world was getting darker as my eyes dropped lower, and I gave in to the wave of darkness that washed over me, and I blacked out.

\----the next morning----

I woke as a pained hiss slid through my teeth, and my hand subconsciously traveled down to my midriff, were an aching pain burned. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around my surroundings, seeing fire crackling to light the dark room I was in. Underneath me I felt soft moss and plants, and I realized I was in the Obas healing hut. I wasn't alone, and seen Deja and a male Oba I didn't know. Deja hurried toward my head and peered down at me while the male left the room.

_"Rain? Do you know where you are?"_ She signed, hooting at me softly.

"Deja? What's going on?" I asked as I propped myself up, wincing at the twinge of pain added to my side. I looked down to see large leaves wrapped around my waist.

_"With Obas. Do you know what happened to you?"_ She kept up her questioning.

I thought back to the last events I remembered. The dam, forgetting my tool belt...and the lion. I nodded slowly, eyes widening at the shock. "It was a mountain lion." I murmured.

I heard a sound in the threshold of the small room I was in, and looked up to see several Obas entering, one being Aria. I continued trying to sit up but Deja pushed me back down gently. _"Take it easy."_ She signed. _"Hurt bad."_

Aria was by my side checking over my injuries. She nodded approvingly at Deja. _"Dressed well. Good job."_ She turned to me. _"How do you feel? In pain?"_

"Not much. I'm just...glad to be alive." I answered, trying again to sit up. They allowed it, but I was almost bowled right over by a little mass of fur, and I winced at the pain it caused. I held my self up with one arm and looked down at the little ape child sitting on my lap, fretting over my face and hair and gazed into the blue irises of Haze. When he made eye contact he froze, and then wrapped his little arms around my neck and pushed his face into my nape, whimpering quietly.

"..Haze? What's wrong, little one?" I cooed, ignoring the pain as I adjusted my position to wrap both arms around his small body. He continued to cry and I shushed him gently and laid my chin on his tiny shoulder, closing my eyes as I consoled him. I drew little shapes into his back as the child trembled trying to control his tears.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay." I cooed into his little ear. Haze sniffed and drew his face back, and I opened my eyes to meet his teary gaze with concerned sympathy. _"What's wrong?"_ I said and signed softly.

_"Friend got hurt."_ He signed back, his tiny little lip trembling a bit. When I realized that his crying was due to my injury, I cooed in understanding.

_"I'm okay now. Obas make me better."_ I signed back, giving the child a reassuring smile as I masked my discomfort for Haze's sake. My eyes were drawn up when I heard a tongue click, and Cornelia was suddenly crouching next to me, signing to Haze.

_"Off. Careful."_ Cornelia chided her child. Haze listened to her, gingerly stepping off me as if trying to avoid a land mine and sitting down next to me, staring at the leaf bandaging around my waist. I tried not to grimace as the wound throbbed painfully as I adjusted my position, drawing my right knee up a little. I was aware of another presence in the room and looked up to see Caesar and Blue Eyes standing in the doorway, waiting for Aria's permission to enter. When she consented, they stepped inside. I watched as they assessed my health, and suddenly became fully aware of the remains of my shirt. It had already been ripped up from the mountain lion's claws, but the apes seemed to have ripped the stomach covering parts right off to make sure the wound was treated well. My shirt was now little more than a bandoe with sleeves.

Caesar moved to my other side, his oldest following to crouch near me. He looked me in the eye. _"Do you know what attacked you?"_

_"Mountain lion."_ I answered, my mind conjuring up the image of the big cat's bright eyes going glassy and blank.

_"They are rare. You are lucky to be alive."_ He signed, eyeing me, watching my reactions.

I sighed and nodded. _"I know."_

_"Why did you go by yourself?"_ The king questioned.

"I didn't want to slow anyone down" I replied. "I don't want to be anymore of a burden to any of you than I already am."

_"Not bur-"_ Blue Eyes stopped abruptly when he caught Caesar's eye, and dropped his hands.

The ape king turned back to me. _"Be more careful next time."_ He advised lightly. I was surprised, I had been preparing for him to rebuke me, and all I got was that?

Haze let out a squeak to draw our attention to him, and when he had it his little hands signed. _"Not Rain's fault. Bad cat hurt Rain."_ He glared up at his father defiantly, seeming to feel Caesar was being harsh with me. I had to fight back a smile at the young child's eagerness to defend me, and it was even harder when I remembered how he had referred to me as his friend.

Caesar smiled and let out a breath of laughter through his nose as he gazed fondly at his young child. _"I know, son."_

Haze nodded to himself importantly in a 'you better' kind of way before climbing up my arm and clinging with his little feet to my shoulder and arm, and he started combing fingers through my hair and scalp. At first I was confused at the child's actions when I realized, he was grooming me. I knew grooming was conducted between friends and family, to form and strengthen bonds between apes and I was immensely happy and flattered. After a short time he slid down into my lap and I caught him mid slide to position him away from my left side, and then let him sit. Haze seemed to understand why I had done this and scooted even farther to the right as he looked up at me.

_"Rain pretty."_ He signed. I 'awed' at his cuteness and signed back, _"Thank you. Haze handsome."_

He giggled and tugged on his ear, leaning back a little onto my up lifted knee before rocking upright again in a toddler-ish display of bashfulness. He then reached up and placed his hand my nose, and I played our game with him until Cornelia told him it was time for him to go to lessons. He protested, saying he didn't want to leave yet, and wouldn't budge until Cornelia promised to take him back to visit me again later. With that deal made, Haze wrapped his arms around my neck again and squeezed tightly. I smiled and hugged him back, and when he pulled away he signed. _"Bye. Stay away from cats!"_ With that he leaped to Cornelia who seemed to see it coming and caught him easily, and took their leave, Haze still waving to me over his mother's shoulder. I giggled and waved back until he was out of sight, which didn't take long.

I smiled after them, but it faltered when my side twitched painfully, and I cupped the bandaging, muttering a little, "Ow."

Aria stepped foreword with a bark plate that smelt of herbs. She crouched where Cornelia had been and carefully unwrapped the dressings. When she peeled back the final layer of leaf, I was relieved to see no redness, so signs of infection. She scooped up some of the plant poultice and started slathering it to my side, all the while I was sitting there biting my lip and trying to hold back my urge to flinch away from the touch as the juices stung at me. As I watched, I realized something, and stopped her when she went to re-wrap the bandage-like leaves.

"I need to do something. Can someone bring my backpack? From the hollow?" I asked her, hoping I wouldn't irritate her. But the aging female just seemed intrigued and turned to sign at the male Oba in the room. He nodded at her and left, returning a few minutes later carrying my little backpack. I thanked him when he handed it to me. I fished through it, pulling out a little white box, seeing the familiar Red Cross on it. I opened it and looked through it until I found what I was looking for, a needle and thread. I sighed and looked around, seeing a stick that had fallen out of the wall of the hut and reached for it. Aria grabbed it with her longer arms and handed it to me, giving me a questioning look. I thanked her and started sterilizing the needle with rubbing alcohol. When it was ready, i took a deep breath and stood up, when I wobbled on my knees, Blue Eyes was there to steady me, all the while urging me to get off my feet with everyone else.

I convinced them to help me to the wall. I leaned on a sturdy beam near the fire and looked down at my wound, glad that most of Aria's poultice had soaked in to the wound, and I felt it was enough to cleanse it. I took the stick and placed it in between my teeth as I threaded the needle. God this is gonna hurt. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and was happy when my hands didn't tremble. I then started the process of stitching each slash mark shut. I furrowed my brow and whimpered at the pain, the stick muffling the sounds. Soon I tied off the end of the first stitched slash, and when the needle was away from my body I took the stick out of my mouth and sucked in air quickly as I had been holding my breath, too worried I'd mess up if I moved. I did not want to cry. When I calmed down, I clenched the stick between my teeth and began on the next slash, stitching the wound shut slowly. This process repeated itself twice more. By the end of the treatment, I was panting. I gazed down at the stitches, glad that they were dissolvable, so I wouldn't have to worry about taking them out again.

"Can someone pass me that?" I asked, pointing to the first aid kit. The male Oba grabbed it and dropped it in my waiting grasp, and I pulled out some linen bandages and a roll of medical tape.

I wrapped my sore waist and taped it in place, and put the supplies back in the white box. I slid down against the beam and onto my butt, wincing and spreading my left leg out to relieve some of the pain. "That sucked." I muttered to myself.

_"Why did you do this?"_ Deja asked.

"Stitches. Helps wounds like this heal faster. Easier to keep it clean too." I explained. Aria had been watching closely the entire time, and grazed a finger over the bandaging. She nodded to herself and started signing.

_"I have seen this done before."_

I didn't bother to ask where, not sure I really wanted to hear the answer. It gave me a bad feeling in my stomach to think of possibilities, so I kept quiet.

_"Off your feet. Still need rest. Humans delicate."_ Aria signed, helping me to the moss bed.

"I'm not delicate." I complained. Aria raised a brow at me in a comical 'Really?' look. I bit my lip and cast my eyes to the side before meeting her gaze again. "I'm not." I pouted.

She chuckled and made a dramatic display of getting to her feet, groaning like she was twice as old as she was. She started to leave, nodding to the king and prince and beckoning for the male Oba to follow her. Caesar and Blue Eyes moved closer to my bed now, sitting beside me on each side. _"Humans are so weird."_ Blue Eyes signed.

I grinned and laughed lightly, then stopped with a wince, laying a hand over my bandages. But I replied with a smile, "I know." My smile faded when I realized I had forgotten to do something important. I held Blue Eyes's glacial gaze and signed to him. "Thank you."

He gave me a look. _"For calling you weird?"_

I smiled and shook my head. "For saving me."

_"What? I did nothing. It was dead when I got there."_ He had an almost shameful look in his eye.

"Because of you. If you hadn't made me take that spear with me, I'd be dead right now." I explained.

His brows lifted, and I could see a smile tugging at his lips, though he tried to hide it. _"How did you kill it?"_

I looked down at my hands in my lap, recalling the event. "I didn't do anything really. It tackled me and landed on the spear tip." I felt a sadness sprinkle over me at the thought of the beautiful creature's demise.

_"Why the sad face?"_ Blue Eyes asked.

I shrugged. "I'm kind of sad it's dead. But then again it's probably a good thing. I don't know."

_"Humans really are weird."_ He shook his head with a little sigh. I smiled again and held back a giggle, and seen Caesar smiling amusedly.

_"You were brave. Get some rest."_ Caesar took his leave. Blue Eyes got up to follow but I reached out and grabbed his wrist. He stiffened and froze. After a moment he turned to look at me and I glanced down before meeting his gaze again.

"I don't...I don't want to be alone. Please don't leave yet." I asked, for some reason feeling a bit awkward about it, a and I tried not to squirm when I realized I hadn't yet let go of his wrist. I didn't know what it was that had caused me to do this, it was just a sudden feeling of loneliness that hit me like a pebble filled wave, and the idea of being left alone caused a cold pit of fear in my stomach. The contact with Blue Eyes made that fear go away with his warmth, but I realized that it probably made the young ape uncomfortable, so I released him from my hold. I sighed and hugged my right knee, not meeting his blue gaze as I stared at the soft floor underneath me.

I heard nothing, but when I glanced up I seen Blue Eyes sitting down, waiting for my next action. _"Sorry.."_ I couldn't help but sign.

He shook his head. _"It's fine."_ I then remembered that he hadn't eaten yesterday, and I was afraid he still hadn't had anything. I asked him about it, and earned a strange look.

_"What is it with you and my eating habits?"_ He seemed to be trying to lighten the mood.

I gave him a small smile. "I know what its like to go hungry. It's not fun." Truthfully I didn't want to go into detail about it, I would get carried away and would sound all sappy and girly. He was my friend and I didn't want him to know suffering of any kind, though I knew that was ultimately out of my control.

He smiled back and nodded. _"The answer to your question is yes."_

_"Good."_ I signed.

_"I'm sorry I wasn't there. You wouldn't be hurt if I had listened to my gut and gone with you."_ He signed, the air suddenly going tense. _"You must have been terrified."_

I sucked in a slow breath, and let it out in a slow sigh, nodding to his assumption. "I was. I knew I was being hunted. But it wasn't your fault. I was the idiot who insisted on going alone."

_"Still, I should have followed you."_ He seemed to regret saying that afterwards. I guess he didn't want to come off as a creeper.

"Then you would be the one hurt right now." I pointed out.

_"Better me than you."_ He didn't get the same embarrassed, almost shameful look in his eye like his last sentence, but stared at me with stubborn, almost angry looking determination to not change his mind.

I stared at him with surprise. Better he than I? Surely he didn't mean that. _But what if he did?_ A little voice inside my head said. I wished the voice would go away, I didn't want false hope. I didn't want to get hurt.

"What's that?" Blue Eyes said, looking at something near the ground. I glanced down and my brows lifted in a mild show of surprise. By the backpack, was a photograph. I picked it up and looked down at it, lips parted but void of emotion. I was aware of Blue Eyes moving to my shoulder to see, and stared down at it with me. Smiling back at us was my mother, brother and myself. It was the morning Dax and I had left to come here, my mom's stomach bulging with my unborn sibling as we all smiled happily, having no way of knowing that this would be our last moment together as a family.

"My family..." I whispered.

I was aware of Blue Eyes's glance at me. _"You have a sister?"_

I smiled and giggled a little at his assumption and I shook my head. "That's my mother. She was young when she had Dax. And then three years later she had me. And then..." I trailed off as my eyes burned, thinking about the little baby I never got to meet. I looked at my wide smile, the smile that believed everything was going to be fine, ignorant, stupid girl. I sighed and passed the picture to Blue Eyes. I couldn't look at that day anymore. But I was still reminiscing, so I reached for the backpack (it had been tossed nearer to my moss cot) and dug through it again. At the bottom, I found a plastic bag full of photographs.

Taking a soothing breath, I opened it and reached in and grasped one of the paper thin memories in my fingers. What I pulled out brought a smile to my face. I seen myself, crouched down hugging a harlequin Great Dane dog, who sat with his jaw resting on top of my head, his lips pulled into a smile as he panted. It was taken just a few months ago. The dog was a stray, but he was a sweet dog. Dax had taken the picture for me.

_"What is that?"_ Blue Eyes signed to me. I was reminded then that he had been raised in the forest, and the closest thing to a dog would be a wolf, and they looked nothing like Great Danes at first glance.

"It's a dog." I answered.

"Dog?" He asked. Oh god there's that voice. It was husky and deep and youthful and oh my god. That voice could get me to do anything.

"They're like wolves. This is just a big breed of dog." I tried to explain. Blue Eyes just shrugged and shook his head, and I could see the look on his face. _Humans are weird._

With that, I set it down and pulled out another picture. My mom was sitting on the living room floor, her stomach flat, not yet harboring her third child. She had white paint on her face, two lines on her cheek bones, and three dots underneath them, along with her full bottom lip painted black. A younger me sat in front of her, odd eyes closed as she painted a thick dark stripe over my eyes and nose bridge. I looked on at how similar our hair was. Long, straight strands fell elegantly over our shoulders and down our backs, like a smooth flowing waterfall. The only difference between my mother and I had been the colors of our hair, her's being a beautiful coffee bean black, while mine was a dark river of chocolaty earthen colors. A few strands of hair had been braided at random, on each of us, as well as a few colorful beads had been woven into our hair. I remembered fondly of the clinking sound they made. My mother and I had done this often, as well as Dax, though he never let us put beads in his hair. I remembered when his hair had fallen down to his shoulder blades, before he cut it on a whim. I missed playing with it.

It was days like the ones in this picture that held my fondest memories, from years ago. My mother would have her days off from work and Dax and I would rush to finish our schoolwork so we could relax with Mom, conversing in Cherokee. On days like this, after she had painted us and done up our hair (half heatedly complaining about not being able to weave in feathers like she and her mother had done), she would teach us new things about our culture and history. Dax and I soaked it all up like sponges. After a while of this, she would make us tea, and dunk in dollops of honey and then we would all retreat to the living room, and watch movies we had all seen thousands of times in a nest of blankets and pillows and anything soft and cuddly we could find. I smiled and tasted salt from the tear that had escaped my eye. I took a deep, cleansing breath and put the photo down. I had almost forgotten that Blue Eyes was here but was quickly reminded of his presence when I felt his warm breath on my neck as he looked down at the photos.

_"I'm sorry..."_ He signed, seeming at a loss for words.

I shook my head. "Don't be." I took another deep breath, fending off more tears. "I just...I can't believe that they're all gone now."

There was a moment of silence when all I wanted to do was jump back in time and give my brother one last hug, kiss my mothers cheek one last time, make sure they knew how much I loved them. I felt a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. The pressure on my tense muscles felt phenomenal as the stress was massaged right out, and I let my head loll to the the side, giving a small sound of pleasure. The hand froze, but then continued it's lovely ministrations. Too soon, the hand retracted and I rolled my neck and shoulders, a content smile on my face.

_"Thank you."_ I signed to Blue Eyes.

He didn't respond right away, though I was fine with just looking into those sky colored hues. They always held so much emotion, though much of it I could see he tried to hide, locked away. The look in those pretty eyes had me wondering, what color were my eyes? I don't fully know what happened after that, but the rest of the day, and much of the night, was spent talking and laughing, sharing funny memories from our childhoods with each other. I showed him my camera and showed him how it worked, and we even took a few pictures with each other, goofing around as much as my stitches would allow. Now, I could look back on this as one of my favorite moments. This is the day that I finally let my self fully accept, _fuck I totally have a crush on him._

 


	11. Chapter 11

-one month later-

My wounds have healed fabulously, as Brent said. Brent is the male Oba that had been helping Deja treat me. He was still learning, but he was good at healing, and that's what mattered. He was nice, and had a good sense of humor, Dax would have liked him. My stitches had dissolved into my skin and I was left with four scars raked into my midriff, the first and shortest one riding the ridge of my hipbone. It no longer gave me pain unless I moved too quickly, though Aria insisted that I stay in the healing hut until i was completely free of pain, no matter how much I complained. I wasn't allowed to do anything strenuous, i.e run, jog, so I wasn't allowed to go anywhere much now. I hadn't been able to climb in weeks and I was itching to use my limbs, but every time Aria assesses me, she says I'm not ready yet. I'm starting to feel a bit babied.

Though Aria did allow me to go out to gather fruits with Blue Eyes, as long as he promised to move slowly. I was surprised when she came up with the idea, but I think she caught on at how tired I am of just sitting around. So, at this moment, I was busy plucking fat blackberries from their respective branches, while Blue Eyes was up in an apple tree a few feet away, gathering the ripest fruits at the top branches. I sighed and internally grumbled over my jealousy. I wanted to be up there too, I loved the feeling of being suspended in the air, knowing I could rely on the tree's strength, but of course, I couldn't risk re-opening my wounds. Just as I thought that, a dull thump sounded just behind me. I looked back to see Blue Eyes walking forward, his arms struggling to cradle too many apples.

I giggled as they tumbled from him and onto my shoulders to roll across the grass. I caught one and smiled up at him amusedly as he stood there looking embarrassed. He mutely apologized and I forgave him, turning to help him pick up the lost apples and placed them in a separate basket we had brought along. At one point, we both reached for the same fruit and we both froze when our fingers overlapped one another's, and I looked up into Blue Eyes' cerulean gaze. His eyes were wide, as were mine, as we both seemed to stop breathing. My cheeks felt warm as my heart started thumping in my chest. We both seemed to snap out of our daze when two squirrels leaped noisily into the branches above our heads, Blue Eyes broke eye contact as he cleared his throat and awkwardly removed his hand from atop mine, and we both avoided eye contact while returning to the task of picking up the discarded apples.

The awkwardness didn't last long until we both reached forward and simultaneously bonked our heads together. He grunted and I let out a little "oh!" as we retracted and placed a hand on our foreheads. Blue Eyes and I locked eyes again and this time, we both started laughing. I giggled as I rubbed the soreness from my head.

_"Aria will have my hide for that."_ Blue Eyes signed, still chuckling.

I let out another giggle and stood up from where I had been crouching in front of the blackberry bush. "Come on, let's get back to the village before one of us breaks a bone." I exaggerated jokingly. He tittered and picked up the full apple basket and I toted my berry basket as we started the trek. But when Blue Eyes suddenly stopped, confusion scrunching up his face, I turned to question him. But before I could form the words, the earth under my feet started to shake.

"Whoa.." I muttered as the shaking caused me to stagger. "Blue Eyes?" I said, worry and fear heightening my voice as I looked to the sky eyed ape.

"Earthquake!" He growled, dropping the apple basket. I felt something move under my feet, but it was different from the tremors coursing through the earth, and I gasped when a thundering sound erupted from the soil under my feet. My eyes darted to Blue Eyes' and he took a step toward me before the earth split from under my feet, and my stomach dropped as I fell. A frightened cry tore from my throat, but it ended in a pained grunt as I landed after about eight feet. Pain ached in my side hotly as my back collided with the hard ground, and I gasped as the air was forced from me.

I was left to curl myself into a ball as the earth around me trembled and shook violently and loudly. My heart violently beat against my rib cage in fear as I covered my ears and head as I cowered. The shaking seemed to drag on and on, I having no way of knowing just how much time had passed, it could have been thirty seconds, or it could have been thirty minutes. But by the time everything silenced, the rocks around me weren't the only thing left shaken. I slowly unfurled myself and looked up to see Blue Eyes peeking down the hole, barking loudly until I called out his name.

"Are you, hurt?" He called down.

"No. Just bruised." I answered, looking at my surroundings as I heard my voice echo. It was dark, I couldn't see anything but I heard a loud rumbling noise, and I wondered if it was the sounds of the quake reverberating off the walls. It was cold, and I wrapped my arms around myself, looking back up at Blue Eyes. He was pacing the perimeter of the hole above me, eyes darting down to me then back in the direction of the village. I started trying to listen to my environment, suddenly fearing this cave was occupied as my midriff throbbed with soreness.

"Blue Eyes?" I called up, his head looked down a second after my beckon. "I'm scared."

My friend stared down at me for a long series of seconds, and I could see the look in his eyes that he got whenever he was in thought. Then, with another glance at the colony, Blue Eyes jumped down the hole and landed beside me, dusting rising up in his wake.

"Blue Eyes! What are you doing? Now we're both stuck down here!" I gasped in surprise. I immediately regretted raising my voice as I heard my panicked tones echo, and glanced around in fear of some unknown predator following the sounds of my distress. My right hand rose up to hold a strand of my hair as I nibbled on my bottom lip worriedly.

Blue Eyes grunted softly and pulled my wrist away from my hair and forced me to look into his eyes. "We are. Going to be. Fine. I promise." He whispered. Dear god his voice is deep even when he's whispering. _I wonder if he knows how his voice affects me?_ A little voice in the back of my head inquired.

I stared into Blue Eyes' namesakes and saw no deceit in those pretty pools. "How are we going to get out?" I glanced around, and was surprised to see much more than I initially had. The cave was rounded, and I could see a tunnel leading into the darkness. "What do you think is down there?" I whispered.

Blue Eyes followed my gaze. "Where?"

"Down that tunnel." I pointed to the area. Couldn't he see it? His eyes drifted around the darkness, but then his eyes seemed to adjust and he squinted at the tunnel.

_"Fresh air coming from it."_ He signed. Blue Eyes crouched down and started tearing a piece off the woven basket I had dropped during my fall, and then shuffled around for something. He found a broken piece of rock that was long and narrow. I then realized what he was doing as he started shredding the fibers of the basket piece. I helped him secure it on one end of the rock and then searched for two stones (didn't take long) and I started striking them together over the makeshift torch until a spark caught in the tinders. I dipped my head down as a little trail of smoke rose up and a crackling sound could be heard, and started blowing air onto the spark. It soon became a flame and I picked the torch up as it glowed to life.

It illuminated the cave, and I held it toward the tunnel, though the fires light didn't penetrate through the tunnel. Blue Eyes moved forward, holding his arm out halfway to tell me to keep close but behind him. I didn't need to be told twice. He cautiously approached the mouth of the tunnel and I could hear him sniffing every few seconds. After a moment he gave the okay and we advanced further into the darkness, and I was very glad of Blue Eyes' cleverness with the torch. We followed the tunnel silently, and I was surprised when it didn't take any turns or get narrower or something like that. The thundering noise hadn't stopped and I asked Blue Eyes if he heard it too.

He nodded. _"It's coming from down this way."_ He signed. I sighed as we kept trudging on through the damp cave, looking back every now and then, expecting to see eyes shining back at me, but thankfully nothing was there. At least nothing I could see.

I heard a rushing sound as well as the thundering grew closer. We soon stepped into another cavern, and I gasped with surprise. To the left was a tall waterfall. The ceiling rose up about eleven feet and water fell from a fracture in the wall in narrow sheets. All along the wide walls, there was a dull glowing substance, moss, from the looks of it. A few stalactites and stalagmites littered the floor and ceiling here and there, and in three areas, the two rock formations met in the middle, like starved hourglasses. The waterfall flowed into a small lagoon, and a stream was carved into the rock, leading out into another tunnel. I could smell the water and rock now, and I turned in a circle as I took everything in.

"Wow..." I breathed as I finished my inquisitive three sixty. "What is this place?" I asked Blue Eyes, thinking that maybe the apes had been here before.

But the handsome primate shrugged his shoulders, looking around in wide eyed awe. "I have never. Seen this place, before." He answered.

"It's beautiful." I said to myself as I gazed at the waterfall. Before any more could happen, a gust of cold wind blew in from the tunnel in front of us, and the torch's flames flickered and died, and darkness seeped around us. I immediately gasped, freaked out as chills traveled down my spine from the cold.

"Blue Eyes?" I didn't get an answer, but I felt something brush against my forearm, causing me to squeak and flinch in fright. "Blue Eyes, where are you?" I whimpered, afraid of being in the dark damp cavern alone. The touch returned again, but this time I could identify the large hand of my friend, and breathed out his name in relief. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I blinked, surprised when I could see actually very well. Blue Eyes stood barely two inches away, his hand holding my wrist delicately, as if afraid he'd break my arm if he held on any tighter, though I doubted he would have any trouble fracturing my bones if he wanted to. My eyes met his and I knew he had the same sudden change in vision, as we were bathed in a faint bluish green light. I looked up and seen its source, the algae like substance on the walls let out a brighter glow now that the firelight was no longer there to outshine it.

"Cool." I commented, when I glanced at the waterfall again, I let out a happy gasp at my new discovery. Behind the icy liquid the rocky wall was slathered with the glowing algae, and it emitted a strong blue and green glow, shimmering through the falls and reflecting off the lagoon.

"We should. Keep moving." Blue Eyes said distractedly. When I glanced at him he was looking down, confused and a little disappointed, I consented.

"What about the torch?" I said, glancing at where I had dropped it.

"Don't need it. I can. Smell grass. We are close." He shook his head. Taking one more glance at the torch, I decided to trust Blue Eyes and follow him. When we reached the mouth of the tunnel, I realized something that might not be a bad thing to speak up about.

"Um, Blue Eyes? I don't know if this is a huge issue, but...there's no glowing wall gunk down there." I said, feeling another cold shiver travel down my back. He huffed, and in the light shone on us by the algae, I could see him glancing from me to the tunnel. I watched as Blue Eyes reached out, hesitating for a moment before I felt his fingers curl around mine. I felt an inner jolt vibrate my bones at the contact, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up, as well as my cheeks heated up a good amount, neither results from fear.

"You'll see the. Sky again, soon. Little Bird. Hold on." He murmured, and I could feel his breath on my nose. I felt a small tug at my lips at the use of the little nickname, he had been using it often and every time the words left his lips I got this fuzzy feeling in my stomach and my heart picked up the pace a bit. But I was reminded of the situation we were in when I blinked, and I took a little breath to calm myself and nodded, squeezing his fingers.

"Okay."

I felt him tug me along, keeping me just behind him but close enough to feel the heat radiating from him, and I felt comforted. As long as I was with Blue Eyes, I knew I would be safe. I started thinking about how close we had grown during the month long span of my being here. I had learned a lot about him, including that he was a thinker, he had a temper, and often masked what he was feeling. But he had a sweet side to him too, I thought, remembering the time he had gone way out of his way to make a nice toy for Haze, who had loved it, and rained kisses and hugs down all over his brother's face before jumping to show me what his big brother did. Blue Eyes had a great sense of humor too. (one of my favorite things about him) He also had a knack for causing those girly, teenage thoughts in my brain, without even knowing it, that quality I was still conflicted with.

I was taken from my reverie when I noticed a light shining on the left wall a few feet away. Sunlight. I held tightly to Blue Eyes' fingers and hurried my steps a bit more, so now I was walking beside him. We both rounded the corner and hurried out, and I was happy to see a blue sky above my head, and beneath my feet was ankle high soft grass. We had come out of a small cave entrance carved into an overhang in a mountain ridge. Before us stood a little valley nestled in between two mountain ridges, the stream that flowed from the waterfall winding into the grasses. I smiled at the beauty of the scene. I could see a weeping willow tree down by the stream, as well as a few oak trees dotted the area.

"Do you know where we are now?" I asked Blue Eyes as we continued stepping forward, gazing around the landscape. When I received no answer I turned to look at my friend, who already had his face turned in my direction.

"Blue?" But his head had snapped down and I turned, trying to see what he had been looking at over my shoulder, but seen nothing but a flower patch. He began to lift his arms, but froze, and I soon knew why. Our hands were still holding onto each other, and we stared down at our fingers. Honestly I didn't want to let go, I liked the rough-ish feel on his hand around mine, it made me feel protected and warm. But all good things must come to end, sadly, and we slowly let go of each other.

_"What did you say?"_ He signed at me after a few seconds of silence.

"Do you know where we are?" I repeated myself as my cheeks warmed up in a delayed reaction to what had just occurred.

Blue Eyes shook his head. _"Let me get a better view."_ He signed before making his way toward an oak tree. I sighed and petted my scar with a finger, wishing it would heal faster so I could climb again. I turned toward the ridge to my right and my brain tracked out a map, and I quickly climbed it, knowing it wasn't a strenuous climb and all I had to do was walk. When I got to the top, I realized that Blue Eyes' trek to the tree was unneeded, seeing as I could see the village from here, just a half mile away. I stayed up there, enjoying the view of the forest, taking in the actual size of the ape home. I marveled at how well I could see from here, I could even make out the bridges that were built in front of the waterfall in the village, and even apes moving over them. I turned back to the little valley when I heard a calling hoot, and waved my arm at Blue Eyes, calling his name so he would see me from where he stood, searching for me in the grasses. When his eyes found me, he quickly made his way over, already scolding me for climbing the rocks.

_"You could of slipped and reopened your wounds. What am I supposed to do with a bleeding Rain when we're lost out..."_ He trailed off when I reached out and turned his face from me to the view in front of us with my index and middle finger to his jaw. I gave him a smirk as I seen his facial expression; surprise.

"I'm sure you would of figured something out." My smirk could be heard in my voice. I felt pretty smug about finding the way back before him.

He huffed and glanced at me, and my smirk widened. _"Let's get moving."_ He signed and hopped over the crest of the ridge, turning around to offer his hand. I took it and again felt the same jolt course through me at the contact, but i forced myself to hop over the crest and act as though nothing happened. Blue Eyes helped me down the side of the rocky mountain, and I was glad when my wound didn't slow me down. We reached the forest floor in around fifteen minutes, and started the slow trek through the woods, Blue Eyes refusing to let me climb so we could move faster through the trees, much to my annoyance. Stubborn ape.

It was approaching sun down when we made it back to the village, and we were swarmed by a group of apes. Deja was by my side, examining my midriff. _"Are you okay? Are you in pain?"_ I then remembered the earthquake that had lead to my discovery of the glowing cavern.

I shook my head at her question. _"I'm okay."_

After I answered Deja, Caesar pushed through the crowd, his sharp green eyes scanning over Blue Eyes and I. "Are, you. Hurt?" He questioned, though I knew it was mostly directed towards his son. Blue Eyes nodded with an affirmative grunt, signing, _"We're fine."_

Caesar's gaze shifted to me, and I seen him glance down at my scar. I met his gaze, waiting for him to say something but all he did was turn back to Blue Eyes. _"Go to your mother. She is worried."_ Blue Eyes nodded and glanced at me, and an unspoken message passed between us. _Don't say anything._ With that, the prince left in the direction of his home. Caesar dispersed the remaining apes and Deja lead me to the healing hut. I looked around as I made my way through the village after the young bonobo, searching for any damage the quake might have caused to the ape home, but could see nothing but a few shaken individuals. I was relieved no one seemed to have gotten hurt, but I wouldn't know for sure until we reached the healing hut.

I was glad to find most rooms empty as Deja led me back to my own accommodations. I sighed and sat down on my moss cot. _"Do I really have to keep sleeping here? I'm fine."_ I signed at her. Deja's eyes crinkled above her orange mask as she smiled at me.

_"Yes. Until Aria says different."_ She signed back, shrugging. Just as the young Oba finished signing, Aria entered the room, followed by Brent. Deja inclined her head respectfully and greeted them both. They returned the gesture and turned to me. Aria started examining me and hooted when her eyes fell on something on my left love handle.

_"You are bruised."_ She signed, eyeing me suspiciously. I twisted around, and over my shoulder I seen a light purple bruise tattooing my skin, a souvenir from my cavern discovering fall. I smiled apologetically at the head Oba. "I lost my balance during the quake. I fell against a boulder." I said, quickly coming up with a cover story, though I felt bad for lying to them, they were my friends and had been good to me, an outsider. Aria kept her piercing green eyes on me, and for a moment I thought she could see through my facade, though I didn't let it show.

_"You can go back to the hollow tonight."_ Aria signed suddenly. My brows raised in surprise.

"Really?"

The middle aged Oba nodded. _"If the wound can stand a fall hard enough to cause this,"_ she indicated to my new bruise. _"I don't see why it can't stand a night without supervision. You had no pain when walking back?"_ She added.

I shook my head no at her question. "I can climb again?" I asked.

She sighed in an amused, 'you give an inch, they take a mile' kind of way. But she nodded. _"But take it easy. Take it slow. Wound could still reopen."_ She cautioned. I nodded, and with that, she made her departure.

I looked up at Deja and Brent, who shared a glance before looking down at me as well. "What?" I asked. Brent elbowed Deja and she left the room. I raised a brow in question, but all Brent said was, _"We have a surprise for you."_

"Me?" I asked, shocked.

_"No, for the rock beside you."_ Brent signed sarcastically, grinning from under his yellow mask.

"What did you-" I stopped when Deja walked in with a mass of greenish plant life in her arms, struggling under the weight. Brent saw her distress, and took the pile from the small bonobo.

_"Follow us."_ Deja signed, walking out of the room with Brent on her heals. Curiosity swirling within me, I followed the two Obas. Deja fell in step beside me as Brent led the way. We ascended the steps to the Tree and Brent ducked inside my hollow, Deja and I following quickly. Brent was in the far corner of the room doing something with the bundle, and Deja and I lit one fire pit aflame, as well as the lamps hanging down. By the time we done with our illuminating tasks, Brent had hooked the plant life up with hooks shoved into the wood like thumbtacks to drywall, and it was revealed for what it was; a hammock. A smile split my face as I looked at the weave-work put into the hammock, and ran my fingers over the fibers.

"You did this for me?" I asked, not looking up.

"Rain is kind. Rain deserves, comfort." Deja said, and the softness of her voice betrayed her youth. I turned to face my two friends.

_"You like it?"_ Brent signed.

I nodded, smiling brightly. "I love it. Thank you so much!" I fought the urge to hug them, knowing it might not be a regular thing for them. But I needn't of worried, for Deja wasted no more time in throwing her arms around me, and I gladly returned the embrace. She then pulled Brent into the hug and we stood like that for a few more seconds before pulling apart, the young Obas' eyes crinkled under their masks as we all grinned at each other.

_"We're glad you like it."_ Deja signed.

"This is too kind, I don't know how to thank you." I said, trying to express my gratitude.

_"You're our friend, we're happy to."_ Brent signed, and I again thanked them.

_"Let's get you something to put down in that."_ Deja signed. I smiled my gratitude and together we set about making a comfortable mattress. The base was made up of soft, squishy moss, and Brent went to retrieve an especially thick fur for me to use as a blanket. I couldn't get over how surprised and happy and grateful I was at this gesture, and I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time, like I was wanted. Wanted by someone who didn't share my blood.

"Is it okay if I get a few smaller furs? I'd like to make a few pillows." I asked. They exchanged a glance and nodded with a shrug of their shoulders. "Oh, and I'll also need a small bone." With that, Brent went to get the furs I requested, and Deja went with me to scrounge up the things I'd need to make a needle and thread out of. We met up back in my hollow and I got to work, letting them watch as I stitched up a pillow case, leaving one end open. When that was done, I stuffed it full of soft moss and stitched up the opening. When that was done, I fluffed it up and passed it to Deja and she examined it carefully, while Brent leaned over and studied the stitching. I explained what it was used for as Brent then started looking at the needle I had carved out of a fish bone with my little knife that I had taken with me in my backpack, warning him to be careful of the sharp point.

I started on a second when Deja glanced outside the vine curtain. _"Dinner is starting."_ She said. I placed my work down and followed the Obas out of my hollow and we separated to our respective areas, I going to the food table. I was nervous, I didn't pick up the food by myself much, but I didn't have to worry for long, because I soon felt a weight fall onto my shoulders, literally. I glanced to the side to see little Haze panting and laughing at his games as he watched me fill my stone plate. I heard a tongue click followed by a slightly irritated sigh, and turned to see Blue Eyes walking up, looking at Haze.

_"Careful. Don't hurt her."_ He signed at his younger sibling. Haze's face suddenly widened and he looked down at me.

_"Haze hurt Rain?"_ He signed, looking afraid. I cooed comfortingly at him and signed at him.

_"No. Brother just wants you to be careful, that's all."_ I explained.

_"Rain not hurt?"_ He eyed me with an almost sad look, and I was in half a right mind to scold Blue Eyes for causing the expression on the child's face.

_"No. Rain happy."_ I signed back with a smile. Haze let out a cheerful series of hoots and hugged my head, one of his arms going over my eye, giving me a pirate's point of view. Haze moved to my other side after his hug and signed, _"Haze happy too."_

I smiled and finished making my plate. With that, I followed Blue Eyes up to the overhang where his family ate. I sat down on the log beside Cornelia and Haze leapt from my shoulders to hers, Cornelia never even batting an eye, completely used to her youngest's behaviors. Blue Eyes sat on the ground in front of me, but no conversation took place between us. I finished my food quickly but neatly, plucking up morsels popping them into my mouth. I watched the sky as the sun started to set, mesmerized by the colors in the clouds.

I wondered, staring up at a puffy, orange drenched cloud, if Dax liked where he was now. I've been having weird dreams lately. Sometimes they were all about Dax, I'd relive moments we'd had together as children, other times it would be new things, like Dax taking me to a sleepover party with faces I didn't know. Sometimes they wouldn't be about Dax at all, but some stranger and a baby. There was a man, holding a baby girl swaddled in a pink blanket, the man cooed and sung nursery rhymes to the child, but by the time I woke up, I could never remember the man's face. I often woke up in groggy frustration whenever I failed to recall the man's features.

By the time dinner was over, I was thoroughly wrapped up in my own mind. I bid Caesar's family goodnight and made my way back to my hollow, wanting to finish making my second pillow. Once inside the protective privacy of the vine curtains, I sat myself down criss-cross on the comfy hammock and felt it swing as I picked up my unfinished work. After a few minutes of silent sewing, I heard a grunt followed by a shadow over the vine wall. "Rain?" A voice called.

Shivers traveled down my back and butterflies erupted into being in my stomach as I recognized the fantastic voice of Blue Eyes. I forced my facade to remain calm and collected. "Yes?" I called, inviting him in.

Blue Eyes' form entered and approached slowly, looking into the fire pit for a moment before looking up and meeting my gaze. But his eyes were soon drawn to the hammock underneath me, and he tilted his head questioningly at me.

"Deja and Brent made it for me. Isn't it nice? I really like it." I filled him in, placed a hand down and pushing it into the warm softness beneath me. He stared at it for a long moment before nodding at me.

_"That was kind of them."_ He signed. _"What are you doing?"_ He added, eyeing the half done pillowcase in my lap.

"Pillows. They're comfortable to sleep on. See?" I passed him my previously finished one. He held it in his hands, staring down at it with a curious frown on his face. He tossed it back to me and I put it back at the head of the hammock. Blue Eyes came closer and held something out to me. I looked at his hand for a moment, and my brows raised in surprise at what I say there. A blue and white string bracelet hung from his long fingers, my anklet. My eyes widened in surprise as I looked down at where it normally resided on my right ankle, and seen it gone.

"My anklet!" I gasped in surprise. "I didn't even know it was gone. Thank you so much! I don't know what I would've done if I lost it." I breathed as I took it from his grasp. Our fingers brushed, and I felt a strange static move through my fingers. I pushed the feeling to the back of my mind as I gazed down at the anklet my mother had made for me. I never took it off. Dax had had one too, though his was green and black, and like me, he never took it off. Now I realized he would be wearing the string around his wrist forever, as he rested in his grave. I did my best to banish the sadness that threatened to take me.

_"Mother found it by the place you were sitting."_ Blue Eyes said.

"How did it even get off my foot?" I wondered out loud as I retied the anklet around my ankle. When I looked up, Blue Eyes had moved closer and was letting his hand roam the hammock, his fingers grazing over the thick fur blanket. The chimp glanced up and then back down, then doing a double take when our eyes met again. His brow raised slightly and I noticed his lips part a little as well, causing me to tilt my head in confusion.

"What?" He jumped slightly, as if startled out of thought, and looked down and away. I felt my cheeks heat up, and I had to focus my thoughts on counting the crackles from the fire to cool down my face before re-acknowledging that Blue Eyes was here.

"Blue Eyes? What is it?" I asked, suddenly concerned about the masked look on his face as he stared down at the moss bed I used to sleep on. He drew in a quick breath and looked up at me, as if he had forgotten I was there, and I gazed into his aquamarine orbs, waiting for his next action. He shook his head, clearing whatever thoughts that had his attention away.

_"Nothing, I just came to give that back to you."_ He signed, turning to leave.

"Oh. Well, goodnight." I said as he walked to the vines separating me from the colony. Blue Eyes turned to look at me before he left, but I couldn't read his face through the mask he donned. His eyes softened for a moment and he lifted his hands. _"Goodnight, little Bird."_ With that, he slipped through the hanging vegetation.

-the next day-

I was currently with a band of apes, who had gone out to collect things to create their paints. Some came from minerals in rocks, so right now, I was by the cliffs collecting certain stones with Maurice the orangutan. I could faintly hear the river rapids as I collected and placed stones into a woven basket, which was quickly filling up. I glanced over at where sentries were posted, keeping watch for danger while we worked. Two of those sentries were Blue Eyes and Ash. I watched as Blue Eyes vigilantly gazed into the forest line, and an amused grin tugged at my lips as I watched Ash preparing to spook the prince. I looked back down at my work, but my head snapped up when I heard a high, tiny voiced shriek tear through the air. The day had been warm, and some females had allowed their children to accompany us, and now I seen what had happened from spying on two females signing with horror etched into my features.

_"Child has fallen over the edge!"_ Apes swarmed to the cliffs edge, hooting and shrieking, and I could hear the poor child's mother screaming and screeching and trying to jump in after her baby, but was held back by a two female gorillas, and even then the mother was frantically trying to climb over them. Apes couldn't swim, I knew. Fear for the small life filled me as I made a decision, throwing off my jacket, kicking off my shoes and shimmying out of my shirt before running toward the cliff, and jumping. I shaped my body in the air as my stomach dropped, keeping my legs straight and holding my breath. I hit the water with a cold shock. I was enveloped in the icy liquid before my body bobbed to the surface like a cork. I gasped in oxygen and started treading water, searching for the white ring of foam that marked the child's location.

I quickly found it, and swam for it. I took in a deep breath and dove under the water, searching for the little child as the water gave my eyes a strange sensation. I was shocked to see how well my vision was, given how murky I expected this water to be, but pushed the thought out of my mind as I seen a wet black bundle drifting downwards in the water, bubbles racing from its nose. I quickly kicked my legs through the coldness, and wrapped an arm around the ape child. The little bonobo wiggled frantically in my grasp, and I struggled to maintain a hold that would keep it secure in my arms without hurting it as I kicked to the surface of the water. My head broke through and I gasped in air, holding the child up to make sure his head was above the waves.

A strangled sound emerged from the child as he clung to me, seeming to be trying to shriek and breathe at the same time. I quickly circled around, looking for the shore, but didn't need to search for long, I only had to follow the screaming of the apes above me. I paddled and kicked awkwardly toward the riverbank trying desperately to keep the current from sweeping us into the rapids and our watery demise. By the time my knees and palms touched the pebbly bottom of the shore side, I had been thoroughly slapped and swallowed enough water to keep me quenched for the next two days while trying to tug the frightened, still flailing baby along. I coughed as I staggered to my feet and pulled the child up into my arms, trying to stop my shoulders from trembling as my joints ached from the cold.

I slumped down on my shins, working on the child until he coughed up blobs of water, and promptly proceeded to whimper and shiver as his hair clung to his body, having just had the fright of his short little life. I cooed and cradled him, trying desperately to warm him with the little body heat I myself still possessed. The child gazed up at me with frightened green eyes as his fingers locked tightly around my bra straps, almost pulling them down as the strings dug painfully into my shoulders. I ignored the discomfort and tried to reposition myself so I was wrapped up around the baby, trying to rub warmth into his fur as he trembled with the cold. I heard crashes in the tree line and fear plummeted my stomach, my first assumptions going to the memory of the bear that had attacked my brother all those weeks ago, but when I turned I seen apes rushing towards me. I braced myself, not knowing what a fear raddled mother would do if she found her waterlogged son in my arms.

I was swarmed by apes, a female orangutan plucking up the baby from me and I watched as he was passed, squeaking and and hooting to his mother. The bonobo had tears streaming down her face and she clutched her baby hard and hugged him to her chest, sobbing and kissing his head as the child tried to push himself even closer to his mother, if possible. A small smiled adorned my face for a moment, glad to see mother and son reunited before they were both swept away by the crowd out of my sight. Then some apes turned to me, though most were with the mother bonobo and her baby.

The air was filled with hooting and every here and there I could hear a bark or a pant. I shivered and moved some of the hair that clung to my face away. I was approached by a female gorilla and a few chimpanzees. The gorilla moved closer and sat down beside me, giving a nod in greeting, and started swiping her hands all over me. It took me a moment to realize she was trying to dry me off. All I could do was sit there as the apes silently patted me down, though I had no complaints, they were warm, and my bones felt like they were chattering. I was again approached by a chimpanzee, Rocket.

_"Why save ape child, human?"_ He signed. I felt surprised by that, not expecting a question like that, though I didn't let it show. I shook my head lightly.

"Ape, human, doesn't matter. Life is precious. I couldn't stand by and do nothing." I answered.

Rocket searched my face for a few moments as I sat there, shivering less and less, before he nodded to me and thanked me.

"Happy to help." I added before he walked away as the gorilla joined the chimps, running her fingers through my hair to help it dry.

The sound of fast approaching horses reached my ears, and I turned to see a group of apes riding up on horseback, Obas included. Most flocked to the mother bonobo and her baby, but one came to me with a fuzzy fur, Brent. He wrapped it around my shoulders as the gorilla backed off her ministrations on my hair, though the chimps kept up their work. The fur was warm, like a blanket and I tugged it closer to my chest. I looked up at movement in my vision and seen Blue Eyes riding up on his dark coffee black horse, tugging Zira along by the reins in one hand. He hopped down and moved toward me.

_"Are you okay?"_ He was hooting quickly, eyes searching me for injuries. It made me wonder who was the Oba here.

"I'm okay." I nodded at him, trying to control the chattering of my teeth.

_"Need to warm you up. Need dry."_ Brent signed, coaxing me to my feet. I turned to the three chimps that had been drying my hair and thanked them, as well as the female gorilla, who stood nearby. I then let Blue Eyes and Brent herd me toward Zira. I had my hands on the horse, preparing to pull myself to her back when I felt a strong, warm grip around my waist hoist me into the air, and onto the horse. I let out a small, quiet whoop in surprise and looked down to see Blue Eyes quickly making his way around the dappled mare to his own horse. Brent rode up beside us and hooted, gesturing for us to move back to the village.

Blue Eyes handed Zira's reins to me and I took them into a hand, clutching the pelt to my body with the other as I clicked my tongue, beckoning for her to start walking. I have been working with Zira for a while with Lisa, and just recently had Aria very reluctantly allowed me to ride the mare. There was much caution and hesitance to let me ride her, for almost everyone else who had tried had been thrown. But I took my time with Zira, I got to know her, her tendencies, her dislikes, her warning signs, and the mare had allowed me to mount her back. Now, riding through the forest at a brisk walk, I only needed to give the subtlest of gestures for her to understand what I wanted.

It was a silent ride, aside from my still chattering teeth that I tried desperately to hide, clamping my teeth together. When we rode in, I swung myself fluidly down from Zira's back, inwardly wincing at the pain that pricked in my not yet completely healed wounds. Brent and Blue Eyes proceeded to herd me up to my hollow, not listening when I said I was fine, just cold. But Brent shook his head and signed, _"Could get sick. Need to dry you off and warm you up as fast as possible."_

But I protested, saying he should be focussing on that baby bonobo, not standing there treating me like one. He tittered and scrunched his brow up in seriousness behind his yellow mask. Once inside the vines, Blue Eyes went about lighting every fire pit and lamp available, and going back to check that they all glowed strongly. Brent on the other hand, nudged me to my new hammock and started examining my midriff, checking that my wounds were alright. With that, Brent took away the now very damp pelt that I had been wrapped in, and replaced it with the warm, fluffy one I slept in. I bundled it around myself and buried my nose the soft fur, closing my eyes and blowing hot air into the fur, warming up my numbed nose.

Blue Eyes was by Brent's side, gaze shifting between the Oba and I as he folded up the dampened fur and placed it by a fire out to dry. _I don't know how he expects it to dry fast, folding it up like that._ I couldn't help but think. Brent turned to Blue Eyes, a question in his eyes. A silent conversation seemed to pass between the males, and I could only watch as the older one lifted his hands to sign to his prince.

_"Go get her some food. Warm."_ He said. There was hesitation in the young ape's stance, but he quickly departed. Brent turned to me. "Focus on drying up. I'll be back soon." And with that, he too left the hollow.

Once the males were gone, I allowed the thick fur to drop, and hang around my elbows as I rubbed my hands together, breathing on them. I crossed my legs over one another as they hung down from the hammock, hoping they would transfer heat to one another. I hadn't realized how much feeling in my body I had lost, but now, I stopped to asses the locations of each cold-numbed ache. Hearing the crackle of the fire, I got up and made my way over, holding my still slightly shaking hands over the hot flames. I heard the swish of vines and looked up to see Blue Eyes standing with a wooden dish in his hands, his mouth hanging open slightly, eyes roaming over me. I blushed when I realized I was standing there in nothing but my black bra and shorts, as well as dripping hair that didn't do much to cover me.

"Blue?" I called softly, getting a little uncomfortable as his gaze continued to study me openly. The jump in his shoulders said I had startled him out of thought, and I refused to let myself take a guess on what those thoughts could be. _He doesn't think of you like that._ I chided myself. _You're human._ Blue Eyes' looked to the ground by the vine curtain, and the embarrassed look on his face made me wonder if he was thinking about bolting. But all the young ape did was walk forward, and set the wooden plate dish down, exposing elk meat there. I gazed down at the food with surprise. It was torn up into little pieces.

"You cut it..?" I asked curiously, picking up a little piece.

_"I can get something else. I thought you liked it like that."_ He signed, his embarrassment hard to hide.

"Oh, no I do." I assured him. "I just..didn't know you knew." I proved my words by placing the morsel in my fingers into my mouth and chewing. "Thank you. That was really considerate of you." I added after I swallowed it.

He didn't answer. But soon he grunted and briskly walked past me. I followed him with my eyes as he grabbed the blanket from my hammock and moved toward me. I tried desperately not to blush as he crouched close behind me and draped it over my shoulders. He stood up and made his way out, stopping to sign, _"Think warm thoughts."_ I giggled and finished the plate of food, feeling much warmer than before. Tugging the blanket closer to myself, I laid down on my hammock wondering where the smirk on Blue Eyes' face had come from.

-couple hours later, around late afternoon-

The vines that separated me from the village swished as Caesar made his departure. I pulled on my last shirt as I thought about the conversation that had just taken place with bewilderment. Caesar had come to ask me questions about my motives, and then some. Before he had left, he'd told me to be outside and with his son very soon, not giving me any reason for his strange request. Caesar had been acting a bit strange for the past few days, Blue Eyes and I both noticed it, though when I asked him about it, the ape prince claimed he didn't know why his father had been acting the way he had, he had also said that his mother hadn't told him anything either. I ran my fingers through my damp hair, wondering what was going to happen when I stepped outside. I knew I couldn't delay forever, so I took a deep breath and stepped out into the sunlight.

My eyes scanned the mass of dark furred bodies until my eyes landed on the familiar face of Blue Eyes by the foot of the great rock in the middle of the clearing. I made my way over to the ape and greeted my friend, though I kept my head inclined slightly. I'm not sure why, but something told me that I really should. Blue Eyes seemed to notice and gave me a questioning look. I shrugged and lifted my head, giving him a smile.

_"Caesar told me to meet with you. Do you know why?"_ I signed.

The handsome ape shook his head with a negatory grunt. _"He told me the same thing. Wonder what he's up to?"_

I shrugged, not knowing the answer. I glanced up as Caesar walked up from behind his son, but he didn't stop to converse, but kept walking up the rock. When he reached it's jutting peak, he let out a bellow, "Apes! Come, for meeting." His deep voice, not unlike his son's, echoed all throughout the village. Apes surged from all directions to get in ear shot as they gazed up at their leader. I cast Blue Eyes a bewildered look, but all he did was glare up confusedly at his father. I turned back and watched as he spoke and signed.

_"Human female has been among us for five weeks now. I ask for ape's opinion."_

My stomach plummeted at his words. I had been dreading this day, the day that I knew was bound to come sooner or later. I knew they weren't going to tolerate me for much longer. I watched as the apes stayed silent, and either looked at me, the ground, or at each other to sign. I fixed my gaze on the ground. Hours seemed to go by before I heard a little sound, but it soon raised in volume, a hooting sound. I followed the noise until my eyes fell on young Deja, her mask off and hanging around her neck.

_"Human is kind. Human has been compliant and has shown new medicinal herbs to Oba."_ I was shocked that the first opinion to be voiced was not subjected to kicking me out, but I was even more so that it had been shy little Deja who had spoken first. _"She is my friend."_ I heard several hoots call out, though I didn't know who they had come from or what they meant in this situation. I was also very touched that she had so publicly affiliated herself with me.

The next to call attention to herself was Lisa. _"Human tamed one of our most wild and stubborn horses. Since she has been working with it, the devil mare is easier handled, taking much trouble away from apes."_ Lisa looked at me and nodded, a small smile decorating her face. I returned the smile and nodded back at her.

A small hoot called out, and close by, I seen a female bonobo. She stepped forward, but did not sign. Her green eyes were fixed on my odd hazel orbs as she moved forward, slowly but surely, placing one foot in front of the other. Her lips were parted slightly as she panted lightly. The female didn't stop until our chests were almost touching, and she lifted her arms in preparation to sign, but her fingers never moved.

"You, saved. My son. Because of you, I can. Hold. My baby. I can, watch. Him grow up. He. Can, play, with his friends. He can find. A mate. Because of you." The female struggled as her emotions threatened to take her voice. "Thank you." Her shoulders shook as a tear slid down her cheek. "Thank you. Thank you." I was stunned when the female pulled me into a tight embrace, shoulders trembling as she cried silently. I looked at her through my peripherals and slowly returned the hug. I closed my eyes and put my head down, fighting my own tears. I was overcome with the weight of this mothers happiness, and I couldn't help but wonder, would my mother have done the same thing, if given the chance? I didn't doubt it much.

It was a long while before she pulled back, and when she did, she kept her hands on my rib cage, not fully breaking the contact as she looked at me. I placed my hands on her arms, just above her elbows. "I'm happy your son is safe. I'm sure he'll grow up into a fine ape."

She gave a watery smile that only a mother could give, and sniffed, nodding her head. "Because of you." She repeated, and tugged herself off me. She made her retreat back into the crowd and I watched a few other females pat her back comfortingly.

I sniffed as well and collected myself from the touching moment. The apes were silent and watchful, some's heads flicked back and forth between I and the female, some watched me, and some watched Caesar. It seemed no one knew what to do after the intimate moment. The silence was broken by the attention grabbing call of Maurice, the orangutan. He waddled his large self forward to allow a better view of his signing.

_"Let's not forget, human killed a mountain lion. This means one less threat to apes, one less predators to compete with. Human has made forest a little safer."_ The large ape finished with a grunt.

Suddenly, an outraged bellow tore the air. The apes parted like the Red Sea to reveal a scar covered bonobo, who immediately struck me as familiar. I then remembered him, he was there the day I had explained to Caesar what I needed to do at the dam, glaring menacingly at me. I didn't remember the name Caesar had called him by, but I recalled the fear and unease he had filled me with. Now the bonobo held the same slack jawed glare, though this time, it was directed at Caesar.

_"What are you doing? Why ape thank human? Human is useless! Waste ape food, waste ape medicine, waste ape time! Human bad for ape!"_ He growled defiantly up at the leader. Caesar saw the challenge, and puffed his chest out slightly, by instinct.

"You're opinion. Has. Been noted, Koba." Caesar said, his voice loud, demanding not only to be heard, but to be listened to. I held my breath, awaiting for the next event. Before the king could say or do anything else, a calling hoot grabbed the attention of the village and brought it to Aria. The middle aged chimp stepped forward and began to sign.

_"Koba wrong. When Koba see's human, he sees past humans, bad humans. This human different from all the rest. She is young, she is grateful, she is kind. Human and Koba not different. Humans have hurt this youngling. Humans have hurt Koba. This female was wounded gathering food for ape when earthquake hit, and she has been nothing but kind."_ She dropped her hands, but she was not finished. "This! Human, has saved! The life, of an ape today! She risked, her own life! So that, ape child. Could live!" She called out, her voice just as I had imagined it to be, smooth and ringing with good natured authority. _"This human has skills of Oba. She teach Oba new uses for herbs. This female is different breed of human, one ape has never seen before. She is empathetic and wise for her young age, from her I have seen only good."_ I heard a few resonating hoots sound among the crowd, and I desperately wished I knew what they meant.

Cornelia then joined in. _"I have watched this female for five weeks, and feel only fondness for her. My youngest son sees her, and does not see human, or ape. He sees a friend. Mothers, can you not see the same in your children?"_ Her question brought back a fond memory.

Haze had introduced me to his classmates. I remembered the day he had excitedly grabbed onto my fingers with one small hand and toddled over to one the platforms used to teach the children on day after class. I had had to bend down so Haze could keep his grip on me as he brought me to a group of children, sitting and standing, all staring up at me in wonder. I sat down on my shins, scanning my gaze over all the little faces with a warm smile. Haze quickly went over and grabbed a little girls wrist, tugging her over to me. She had been timid and scared at first, but Haze had coaxed her to calm down, reassuring her that I wasn't scary. I had waved and uttered a small, "Hello." before finger spelling my name out for her, keeping one hand on my chest as the other hand spelled. The familiar action had helped, and she did the same, spelling out her own name for me.

Soon this had happened with each of the children, and I was very aware of the apes watching me, but I made a point to ignore them and give all my attention to the little bundles of playfulness before me. Now, much of the time, the children would throw themselves onto my back, giving my head a few pats, and then leaping back to whoever they had been with prior whenever I walked by. On that first meeting, some females had moved forward and scooped their children up and away, not trusting me with their younglings, but as they watched how I interacted with them, they slowly let their children rejoin the group, all under the watchful eyes of many.

_"Our children,"_ The queen continued, _"have never seen the hate and hurt humans can bring, and I see no reason to believe that this young one will show them. She has heart of ape."_ All I could do was stand there, stunned at how Aria and Cornelia had jumped to my defense.

_"She is human!"_ Koba signed. _"The only good human is a dead human!"_ With that, Koba started stalking towards me, glaring at me as if he could think of nothing better than to snap my neck. Fear filled me and I acted on instinct, I inclined my face and kept my gaze downwards, backing away slowly as the angered bonobo approached. I heard a few shrieks tear the air, but I didn't look up, too scared I'd be face to face with the scarred ape. I crouched, trying to make myself small, and submissive.

"Koba." Caesar's voice bellowed without seeming to yell. A grunt followed the name and I glanced up quickly to see I couldn't see the bonobo, just the tensed back of Blue Eyes in front of me. I tried to look between his feet, but I seen nothing, no sign of the aggressive male. Blue Eyes backed away, and I could see Koba's form leaving, followed by a small portion of the group. I supposed he wasn't in the mood to challenge his leader.

"I called you here, to hear what. You think of this girl." Caesar said, acting like nothing had happened. I stayed crouched, not ready to stand in case I caught a glimpse of the scarred bonobo. _"And have heard good things. Human girl, does not act like, human. Human eats with ape, human sleeps like ape, human climbs like ape, human can speak like ape. Human, has no living family. Human is alone. Human has no one. Ape has given, her shelter, for this long. My council, and I have, been thinking. About this, for long time. Human, will be given, permanent home. With ape. If she, wishes."_ He signed and spoke.

My heart skipped a beat. Or three. I couldn't believe my ears, and I gazed wide eyed up at the ape king. Was he serious? I held my breath, hope and joy and disbelief battling within me. He can't be serious. Can he? The idea of staying, among these wonderful creatures, filled me with elation. I thought back to my moods during my stay here, and could think of no reason to even consider saying no. Since I've been here, I had been happy, pleasantly surprised, full bellied, and I had been treated with kindness, fairness, and empathy. That was more than I could say for living in the city. Only my family had made me feel those emotions.

The crowd had gone silent, and my happy feelings started draining, they weren't saying anything. Did they want me? I wouldn't blame them if they didn't, there's not much to want is there? I looked down at my feet, silently judging myself. My attention was drawn away from my self loathing by an echoing hoot. The ape hooted again, and my eyes fixed on who it was, Maurice. Soon, Luca joined in, then Blue Eyes, Lisa, then Deja and Brent, Aria and Cornelia, and soon, a cacophony of ape cries echoed through the village, and drowned out the drone of the waterfall. I slowly rose to my feet, looking around in awe as some drummed their fists on the ground to a slow rhythmic beat.

The rise of a hand from Caesar was all it took to silence them just as fast as it had started. Then Caesar addressed the crowd once more. "Blue Eyes, will. Teach her, to live with. Ape. Apes. Together. Strong!" He raised a fist in the air, and the whole crowd repeated the last three words, through the booming, deeply resonating voice of many. Blue Eyes then guided me up the rock, and kneeled down before his father, head bowed and hand raised, palm upturned. All it took was a glanced through his peripherals to get me to do the same. I soon felt Caesar's slightly callused palm graze over mine, and I dropped my hand. Blue Eyes and I stood up, and the crowd started dispersing. My heart was beating a million times a second, and my head was swimming almost euphorically. These apes had just given me something I've been in desperate need of, someplace to call home.

Caesar waved us away and we started down the rock and toward the Tree. We didn't get far before a little mass of black fur bowled into my legs. I looked down and met the green gaze of a baby bonobo. Something struck as familiar and I let out a happy gasp when I recognized the child as the one I had saved from drowning. I crouched down and rested my knees on the ground and smiled at him.

"Hi, good to see you again." I greeted with a smile. I was glad that the child was out and about, it showed no real damage had come to him from his fall, and he smiled up at me with an almost dreamy expression. Unlike the first time I had interacted with him, he was completely silent. I seen a pair of feet walk up behind him and looked up to see his mother, her face now dry of tears. I gave her a smile and nodded in greeting, rising to my feet so we could see eye to eye.

"He seems all better now." I commented on her son.

The female nodded and gazed down at the child at her feet as he turned to her and held his hands up, wanting to be picked up. The mother bent down and scooped her child up, giving his damp little head a kiss before nodding at me. "Yes." She said quietly, gazing back down at the baby as he nuzzled his mother. "He's perfect."

I smiled at the touching scene."My name is Rain." I said, realizing I hadn't introduced myself yet.

"Heloise." She said. "I once heard, that, humans. Have more. Than one. Name. What are your, others?" She refrained from signing, seeing as she didn't want to take an arm away from her child.

My brows lifted a little and my head quirked slightly. "You want to know my full name?" I asked. The female nodded with a grunt.

"Raina Elizabeth Harley." I paused slightly after each word, finger spelling the names out as I spoke.

"H-Harley..." She repeated. I nodded. Heloise looked down at her child, then at me.

"My son. Does not have, a name. Yet. I would, like to. Name him. Harley, after you." She said.

I gasp in shocked surprise, and hesitated before speaking."You want to...name him after me?"

Heloise nodded. "He owes. His life, to you. I have been. Struggling. To find a name. That fits him.

I want, his name. To be. Special." I gazed down at the little child, and smiled, nodding slightly. "I'm honored." It was all could think of that showed my appreciation.

Heloise reached an arm out, and placed her hand on my shoulder. "You. Brought. My son back. I can. Never thank. You enough."

I shook my head slightly. "You don't need to. I'm just happy to see that he is safe and okay. That's all the reward I need."

Heloise smiled at me. "You are. Good, human." She said, before her hand traveled from my shoulder, up my neck and to my jaw, pulling me towards her. Our foreheads touched and I stood there, knowing this was a sentimental gesture that held great meaning to apes, and Heloise pulled back a few seconds later. She nodded goodbye and a smile struck my face when I seen young Harley waving bye-bye. I waved back and turned to Blue Eyes, who had watched the entire exchange silently. His eyes searched my face before he let me see a soft smile transform his features pleasantly. I returned the look and we continued toward the Tree.

We talked inside my hollow, on the ground next to the fire until dinner time. I was very surprised and I couldn't help but be bewildered with how many smiles I got during the communal supper, but I returned each appreciated one. But for every two good looks, there was a scowl. That was better than it could have been, but it still left me uneasy. How would the apes who didn't want me react? I didn't get enough time to think about it, as I was too busy caught up in a game with Haze and Blue Eyes after our plates were cleared. I couldn't get over how delighted it made me that I had even been offered a place among the apes, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from making the most out of this fantastic, too-good-to-be-true turn in my luck.

 


	12. Chapter 12

\----two weeks later----

My life has made an enormous change since my last day in the city. Instead of waking up on an old, slightly creaky bed in a moldy room, I woke up on a squishy, comfy hammock filled with moss and thick furs and soft pillows. And instead of trudging through post-plague high school five days out of the week I was out playing with children, talking with Blue Eyes, and Ash, helping Lisa out with the horses, or in the healing hut listening in on the Obas lectures given to the apprentices. And instead of hoping a new shipment of food would be delivered soon so I wouldn't have to conserve so much at every meal, I could eat with Caesar's family.

Haze and Harley have been introduced, and now they're best of friends. They did everything they could together, which included finding out who could get into more mischief. It's a tie. My life with the colony has been wonderful, but I'm still at a bit of a delicate stage. Blue Eyes has been teaching me how to read ape body language, as well as helping me understand the apes more modified ways of signing, and I think my awareness has been helpful in getting the part of the colony that wasn't as fond of me won over. Though I still got looks filled with disdain and annoyance, though I tried to listen to Lisa's advice and not let it get to me. _Nobody likes everybody_ , as she said. Not a bad saying either.

My wardrobe has been altered too, more suited for living in the wilds. I still have the outfits I brought along, but I've made new ones too. On the warmer days, I had a shirt that exposed the skin on my belly button, my scars peeked out from under the hem, as well as a doe skin dress that made me feel like Pocahontas. I had also made a pair of pants (with a little more difficulty) that ended at my ankles. Somehow, I even fashioned a pair of ankle high moccasin boots. Don't ask how, it took time and practice and a boat load of patience. For colder days, I had another pair of pants, and a jacket, though I had yet to perfect the warmth sealing parts of sewing jackets and preferred to use the jacket I had brought with me. I liked how I looked, I felt like I was really living like my ancestors. You know, if Cherokees lived with four different species of ape.

The clothes were comfortable and easy to move in and I found that they helped me blend in with the forest surprisingly well. Speaking of blending, Maurice had asked me during breakfast this morning if I could show how my bow worked. I quickly agreed, happy to be reunited with my favorite piece of craftsmanship. So now, I was at the horse pasture, whistling for Zira so we could get into the woods. The gorgeous mare trotted up and I opened the gate, taking hold of the reins hanging under her head. The reins were made out of elk hide, braided together several times to strengthen the ropes. She nickered in greeting and I rubbed her neck in return.

"Hey girl. Ready to head out?" I said to her as she leaned her head foreword, lips flicking at my nose. I gave her a quick kiss between her nostrils as I lead her to a rock that I often used to mount her. She knew the drill and I didn't need to gesture for her to stay as I climbed up the rock. I climbed onto her back and guided her toward where Blue Eyes, Caesar, Maurice and Rocket were waiting, mounting steeds of their own, with three extra horses with them. I nodded in greeting and noticed my bow in Maurice's hand as well as my quiver but I said nothing. I would let them decide when they wanted me to demonstrate.

We rode out of the village and quickly down the slopes leading up to the village. I had to keep my hold on Zira taut, for I could feel how much she wanted to gallop at full speed. Zira could get easily excited, and she loved to run. She could never have been a race horse, she was too strongly built, but given the opportunity, she would fly. I slowed her to a brisk walk as we reached the foot of the slopes, patting her neck to try and calm her down. Though she stayed at my desired pace, she lifted her hooves high at each step with her impatience. Zira grew annoyed with the slow, steadiness of our traveling and reached her head out to nip at the hind quarters of Rocket's mare. The horse let out a surprised yelp and both the horses' ears turned backward.

"Zira." I made the warning clear in my voice and maneuvered her away from the targeted equine. I reached my palm out towards Rocket, keeping my head inclined as my eyes glanced toward him every few seconds. Rocket swiped my palm with a grunt and when I lifted my head, I seen no grudge in his eyes. We continued through the forest until we reached a stream sheltered by a protective line of oaks. The apes dismounted, and I followed suit, tying Zira to a low hanging tree branch close to the water so she could drink if she wished.

I followed silently as Caesar lead us quietly through the trees. _"We hunt now."_ He signed.

I kept my senses heightened as we traveled slowly. Birds sung in the canopy, flitting to and fro without a care in the world. I dropped my gaze to the ground and searched for signs of game trails. I soon found what I was looking for, five inch, two nailed hoof prints. I let out a small noise, not loud enough to alert any potential prey of our presence, but enough to get the apes' attention. I crouched down while signing, _"Found something."_ I examined the tracks and found they were pretty fresh, and I listened to the forest as the apes came to see what I had discovered. I soon heard the sound I had been expecting. Almost sixty feet away, I could hear a buck grunting. I signed to them, and Caesar gave the okay to move in closer. Maurice chose to stay back farther, for his size and color would stand out in the woods, so he handed me my bow and I placed it in the soil as I carefully synched the belt on my quiver, careful to mute the sounds of the metal clasps. I quickly but silently caught up to the advancing apes, careful not to brush up against any plants or step on any twigs. That would be embarrassing.

When we were at the tree line facing the small, grassy glade the buck was in, still grunting, Caesar nodded at me. I took a deep, silent breath. Time to make it or break it, I thought. I stood slowly, using the shade of a tree to cover me as I strung an arrow. I adjusted my stance as I pulled the arrow back to my cheek, barely straining against the taut bowstring. I took aim, and drew in a breath before closing my eyes to clear my mind. I had to make this shot. I opened my eyes and let the arrow fly. It fizzed through the air and straight into the bucks neck, severing its spinal cord and causing the animal to drop dead without a sound. I lowered my bow and looked to Caesar, awaiting his appraisal. His sharp green gaze stared at the dark lump that rose up from the grass as his index finger rested on his chin, and I recognized a similar gleam in his eye to the one I seen in Blue Eyes whenever he was thinking about something.

Caesar's eyes met mine and he gave a nod. His attention went to gesturing at Blue Eyes. The prince gave a nod and walked out to collect the prey item. He heaved the deer onto his shoulders and I was again given another display of the prince's hidden strength as he made his way back with the buck on his back. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either, and I probably wouldn't have been able to lift its shoulders up very far. I tried not to stare. Caesar gestured at Blue Eyes to bring it to Maurice, and he quickly followed the order.

The orangutan took up the prey and ambled off in the direction of the glade. Caesar turned to me. _"Good work. We will see how well you do next. Go with Blue Eyes and be back with the horses when the sun starts moving downwards."_ I nodded and Blue Eyes and I shared a glance to acknowledge the silent agreement between us.

Caesar and Rocket turned away with their spears and went up into the forest canopy. I took a deep breath, feeling relieved to have the watchful eye of the older apes off me. Blue Eyes and I shared another glance before he nodded toward in a new direction. I followed close behind the chimp, keeping my eyes out for any more signs of prey. This wasn't a full scale hunt, it was mostly meant for smaller kills, deer at the largest. So as we made our way through the tree trunks, I kept an arrow loosely strung in front of me.

After a quarter mile Blue Eyes stopped and held out a hand, telling me to freeze. I followed his gaze and seen two bucks grazing. We exchanged a glance and we both knew what the other was thinking. You take the left, I'll take the right. Blue Eyes silently climbed into a tree and I watched him creep through the foliage to get a better throwing angle with his spear. I moved forward as well and ducked against the tree to the right of the one the prince was in. We had to time this well, or we'd end up loosing one or both of our potential kills. I looked up into the tree and could scarcely see Blue Eyes's dark form among the leaves but I soon picked out his light hued eyes among the greenery, staring right back at me.

_"Count to ten before you shoot."_ He signed. _"One, two, three..."_ He started us off in sync. I continued the count in my head as I lined up my shot. At seven I sucked in a soothing breath and let it out on nine. On ten, I let the arrow fly. At the same time, above me a dark streak accompanied the arrow in the sky before they both took up residency in each of the bucks. Mine had gone through the back of the neck, as the animal had had it's back to me, and like the first it crumpled in a dead heap. Blue Eyes's spear went right through the other buck's throat, and I watched it twitch and struggle for a moment before it went completely still. Blue Eyes dropped from the tree beside me and we shared another glance before walking foreword.

"Nice throw." I commented as we approached the kills. I gazed at the antlers on the one my arrow stuck out of and deemed it had been older then the one beside it. Then I realized our mistake. "How are we going to get them back to the horses?"

It wouldn't be a good idea to take them back one at a time, a scavenger could come and take over the kill. But apparently Blue Eyes didn't have the same worries as me, and bent down to remove the spear from his kill before hoisting it up onto a single shoulder. He looked all lopsided for a moment before he had a little difficulty getting the other up onto the opposite shoulder with one arm. What the actual fuck. Fur could really hide muscle mass, couldn't it? I quickly closed my mouth when I felt my jaw going slack from amazement. Dear god I hope he didn't see that. He seemed to of not seen it, (thank god) as he was already walking back the way we came through the forest. I picked up his blood tipped spear from the ground and quickly followed, trying not to watch his upper back flex as he moved. I stopped a few times to pierce an arrow through the neck of a rabbit or a fat squirrel.

Maurice looked up from where he was sitting when he heard us enter the glade. He made a bit of a surprised sound when he seen the two deer on both of Blue Eyes' shoulders. He got up and ambled over to relieve the prince's load, and placed it next to the other whitetail buck I had caught where it lie on the ground. Blue Eyes dropped the last deer beside the others and gestured for me to place my three other little catches with the others. Maurice looked at the catches and nodded approvingly. I looked to Blue Eyes as he started signing.

_"Looks like we're a little early. Might as well stay here until father and Rocket get back."_

I glanced up, and seen the sun had moved down from its original place in the middle of the sky slightly. I nodded to Blue Eyes and went to go check up on Zira, hoping she hadn't tried to nip at any more horses. She hadn't, and was lazily grazing by the stream bank. I gave her a pat as I passed and decided to climb a large oak tree nearby. I pulled myself up among the branches until I found myself in a sun washed nook in the branches, and reclined comfortably with my back against the trunk. I closed my eyes and let the sun warm my skin as I listened to the sounds of the forest.

Below me, I could hear the sounds of the horses hooves kicking pebbles into the stream with a crack and splash every now and then, as well as the swish of a flicking tail from time to time. But the sound I was really focusing on was above my head. I listened to the birds as they sung and called to one another. I soon found myself whistling back at them, and made a game of singing back and forth with them. I peeked an eye open when I heard a branch move, but my attention was caught by a little blue bird that landed on a small branch near my face, and I blamed the recent disturbance on an investigative squirrel. The bird chirped, and I reproduced the sound. It tweeted, and I made a whistle of my own.

I gazed at the small creature as it hopped closer to my face, and I lifted a hand, offering up the perch with what I hoped was a welcoming coo. The bird's head bobbed sideways for a moment before it hopped onto my side turned index finger with another tweet. I chirped back and gave a small. "Nice to meet you." The bird's neckline was decorated with an orange feathered necklace that flashed and glowed in the sunlight. It whistled once more before it fluttered up into the canopy, startled by another disturbance in the branches. I was a bit alarmed, that was the second unknown noise from the same direction. My mind instantly thought, _cougar_. My scars tingled slightly at the memory and a hand subconsciously moved to trace one of the slash marks left by the lion's claws.

My oddball eyes scanned the foliage for any sign of potential danger but I seen nothing. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was there, and stared intently into the green leaves. I startled when a squirrel burst through the leaves after an acorn. The squirrel chittered at me irritatedly and moved back into the branches. I let out a relieved sigh and giggled a bit at my silly paranoia. A frightened cry escaped my throat when a thud sounded above me, followed by a burst of cute, breathy laughter by someone who was not me. I looked up to see Blue Eyes climbing down from where he had landed on a thick branch above my head.

_"Didn't mean to scare you."_ He signed, still smiling with his amusement.

I laughed again at my skittishness and shook my head lightly at him. "You gotta learn to stop being so quiet when your not hunting. One of these days I'll have a heart attack." I joked.

_"Then Aria really will hang my head up on her wall."_ He played along, his shoulders moving up and down as more bubbly but deep laughter escaped him.

I huffed out a laugh but it quieted when the blue bird from before came back and landed on the knee that I had pulled up toward my chest. It chirped loudly at me with a high, shrill call, and I mimicked the whistle before the little blue bird zipped off into the sky. I watched it until it's feathers blended in with the cloudy blue sky with a smile before turning back to my friend. Really he was more like my best friend at this point.

_"A bird who speaks to birds.."_ He signed, with an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. The closest I could find to naming it was as a content-ness of some sort. Whatever it was it made a light blush color my cheeks pink and I glanced down. But my eyes were missing his, so I stared back up into that pretty glacial gaze with a small smile. A smile softened his own features as well as he returned my gaze, and butterflies started doing acrobatic acts in my tummy as my heart thrummed in my chest not unlike that of my newfound feathered friend.

An ape's calling bark interrupted the moment and we blinked as the something-like-comfortable atmosphere dissipated around us. Hiding my disappointment, I gave a smile and a shrug to Blue Eyes before moving down a few branches before jumping down to the ground. I seen Caesar and Rocket with Maurice, adding more kills to the prey heap. With that, Rocket and Maurice began loading the three bucks onto the horses, while Blue Eyes, Caesar and I began placing the smaller prey items into a buckskin bag. With that, I untied Zira from the tree and mounted her, though she seemed annoyed to be moving away from the sweet grass. I patted her neck as she pranced in place, trying to throw her head.

"Easy. It's not like there's not anymore grass back at home." I tutted the animal. She tossed her head and let out an annoyed sound from her chest as her ears were turned back. I quickly gained my control and guided her toward the rest, who were waiting for Maurice to finish tying down the buckskin bag onto his horse. With that, the orangutan mounted his horse and turned it in the direction of home.

On the way back, Maurice was questioning me about the bow. I answered every inquiry willingly, holding nothing back. I explained that I'd made it, as well as the arrows. I told him how I'd made it, what I'd used, how long it took, it actually took me a handful of tries to get it right. The first one had been spindly and useless, the second looked well enough but it's bowstring was messed up. The third, and fourth also had complications that deemed them unusable, but the fifth had worked wonderfully. My quill was built from a whicker wood frame with waterproofed leather stretched and sewed over it, and then attached to a belt. The arrows were by far the hardest things to make, at least in the city. Here in the forest I doubted there would be much problem, and I said as much. Feathers were hard to come by in the city.

I already knew I'd be demonstrating the building process to them by the way Maurice paid close attention to everything I said about it, and I think he knew I knew. So I put in another two cents to the subject, speaking off the mind about how we'd have to lengthen the bow to accommodate for the longer arms of apes. So me and Maurice carried out the half silent discussion about the matter for the rest of the way home. When I knew we'd be approaching the Gates soon, another thought came to mind.

"Are you going to want the bow back when we get there?" I asked, before reaching up to take the bow off my back. But Maurice shook his head and raised a hand, silently telling me to keep it. _"It is yours."_ My lips parted in a moment of stunned silence, but they soon stretched into a grateful smile.

_"Thank you."_ I signed. He nodded with a small smile of his own and patted my shoulder.

The top of the Gates were in sight now but some strange feeling caused me to look to my left. I seen a path stamped out into the earth, leading to what looked to me to be rows of over turned, dark colored soil. I eased Zira to a stop and asked, not taking my eyes off the patch in the ground, "What's that?"

I heard the other horses come to a stop with an irritated huff out of one. I glanced over when I seen Caesar steer his horse towards me to see what I was looking at. He gazed down the path and shrugged. _"Gardens. Crops."_ He signed.

"That's so cool, I thought all the veggies were wild grown." I couldn't stop the comment anymore than I could stop the admiring smile from stretching my lips as I gazed at the well-tilled ground.

_"Not perfected yet. Come, let's go home."_ Caesar dismissed my amazement at the accomplishment and nudged his horse back into a walk toward the village walls. I took one more glance down the path before silently instructing Zira to follow. Within minutes we reached the village, and I was greeted with the comforting sights of my new home.

I steered Zira toward the horse pasture and hopped off onto the same rock I got onto her back with and lead her to the gate to the field, opening it for the horse. She stopped with her nose just outside the barrier and I could see her eye looking at me. I gave her a small smile.

"Go on." I nodded encouragingly into the field.

She blew air into my face and nickered when I blew air right back into her nose before complying and slowly stepping inside the barrier. Zira kept her head level with her sturdy chest as she walked on, not grazing, her tail lowered more than normal.

"Oh come on. Don't look so sad." I called. She turned her head and motored her lips at me. I sighed and opened the gate, stepping inside the field. Zira perked up and turned back to me, sniffing at me curiously. I reached up and patted her neck. Zira pushed her head into my shoulder, pushing me back a few steps, so I reached out and pushed her head away. She gave me a shove and then pranced a few feet away with a playful whinny. I laughed as I regained my balance.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" I called as I jogged after the beautiful mare. She pranced in a circle around me, nickering and pushing her nose into me. I laughed and started running into the field, listening as Zira let an indignant neigh. I stopped and watched her toss her head before dashing towards me. I laughed and ran, though the horse soon caught up to me. We played like this for a while, before I tripped and fell, laughing, into the grass near the gate. Zira nickered loudly before lowering her head to sniff at my face, her strong exhale blowing some hair out of my face. I giggled and reached up, holding the dappled mare's face in my small hands. She nuzzled my forehead lightly before her head shot up, one ear perked forward, the other flipped backward. I propped myself up on my elbows and turned to see what had caught the fire spirited horse's attention. There stood Blue Eyes, leaning his forearms on the wooden fence, watching me.

I let out a breathless, "Hi." I watched a small smile tug on his lips as he lifted his hands to sign.

_"What are you doing?"_ He asked.

"Playing." I answered with a smile, sitting up and getting to my feet. Zira took two steps foreword, so her chest was pressed against my back. I was forced to take a step foreword. But she didn't stop there, Zira then used her body to herd me to her other side, she nuzzled my shoulder fondly before turning and snorting at Blue Eyes, ears turned back. She then nickered at me and starting acting all sweet.

"What was _that_ , Zee?" I asked the horse as I made my way under the elegant arch of her neck to face my friend again. Zira let out an annoyed huff and repeated her actions, this time herding me even farther from the fence. That's when I realized that she was trying to keep me from Blue Eyes, and I immediately did what any other normal person would do. I started gushing at the cuteness of her wanting me to herself and rained down pats and scratches and kisses as I cooed at her. The big softy soaked up all the attention and reciprocated it with nuzzles.

"Can't have me all to yourself though." I added, giving her one last kiss on her broad silvery splotched cheek. I again passed under her neck and made my way to the fence so she couldn't move me anymore unless she decided to try to push me through the wood. I kept my eye on her, suddenly suspicious of whether or not she'd actually do that.

_"Humans are weird."_ Blue Eyes signed, shaking his head as though I was an unteachable puppy. I smiled.

"I know." I answered.

"What even started that?" I assumed he was talking about what led up to my antics with the mare.

"Zira looked kind of sad so I wanted to cheer her up." I smiled, glancing back at where said horse hovered a few feet away, looking for the ideal patch of grass to mow down. I decided now was the time to leave the pasture and put some space between me and some of the yearling stallions who kept roughhousing with each other. I glanced back and bit my lip once outside the fence, I wasn't worried about them messing with Zira, I was worried about Zira putting them into their places. But I decided to leave the horses to their horse thing and return with Blue Eyes toward the Home Tree.

We chatted idly on the way back until both Blue Eyes and I received a spook when Ash suddenly swung down from one of the out-jutting timbers that bordered the sides of the village walls to grab onto each of our shoulders. Blue Eyes glared irritatedly at his honorary cousin and Ash beamed back. I liked the relationship they had, they reminded me of something familiar, though I don't know just what, but it was something pleasant, and seeing them up to their usual antics made me smile. I made it back to the courtyard by Home Tree while watching the two brotherly friends bicker back and forth with each other, sometimes shoving the other's shoulder playfully through a mask of indignation. *cough* Blue Eyes *cough* I was distracted by two furry balls of playfulness jumping onto me. Haze clung to my front while Harley occupied my shoulders.

"Hi, boys. What have you been up to today?" I greeted my favorite little troublemakers.

They both chorused in a sound that I knew meant they were trying to say, "Nothing!" Most of little ones have been getting more and more verbal and talkative. Much more than the oldest apes, many still had trouble with verbal speaking but were wonderful signers, and chose to stick to speaking with their hands.

_"What happened when you went hunting?"_ Haze signed as best he could while hanging onto me as I walked. I lifted my arms up to cradle him so he didn't have to hang on. The children learned to sign very quickly, i learned very soon in my stay with them that ape children learn much quicker than human children. I felt a strange sense of pride knowing that, though I didn't know exactly where it came from.

"Oh, nothing much." I shrugged, letting Harley play with my hair.

_"Tell us more! Tell us more!"_ Harley panted excitedly as he signed.

"It was a small hunt. It was for small game, not like elk." I answered.

_"Well, what did you catch?"_ Haze signed, not at all phased by my dismissiveness.

"Just a few deer and rabbits with a squirrel." I answered simply. "Someday you two will be catching much better things than that when you're older." I added.

_"I'm going to be the best hunter ever!"_ Harley signed, a wide smile on his face.

_"No you won't! I will!"_ Haze signed up at his friend, glaring up at Harley's perch on my shoulder.

Harley shook his little head stubbornly. _"No. You be best fighter."_ This quickly quieted Haze's complaints and they started chatting up at each other like no disagreement had ever taken place. I was pretty impressed at the maturity and honesty Harley possessed at his young age. I could see the beginnings of a long friendship between the two, and was happy I would be able to witness it. My thoughts were broken when I heard a beckoning hoot followed by my name. I turned my head to look for the source and my eyes quickly found the orange masked face of Deja. I smiled in greeting and nodded at her before giving my attention to the two younglings hitching a ride on me.

"Haze, Harley." I whispered excitedly. The tone of my voice immediately get their attention and they ducked their heads close to my face. I whispered a little suggestive plan into their ears and nodded toward Blue Eyes and Ash with a smirk. The two boys grinned in an adorably devious sort of way and I crouched down to allow them silent departure from my body. I watched as they slunk foreword and climbed silently up a large boulder. They hid from the still bickering chimps and when they walked just under the boulder, Haze and Harley jumped down and onto Blue Eyes's and Ash's head before clambering all over them. The surprise attack made the older males loose their balance and Ash grabbed Blue Eyes on his way down, and they all fell to the ground with surprised, incredulous cries. I giggled at the thought of their sore egos. I had to get Ash back for that spook earlier, as well as the near heart attack Blue Eyes almost gave me in the forest today, so this was a good form of karma.

Deja laughed quietly as she joined me, watching the little ones pester the boys. "Hi, Deja." I said.

_"Hi. Aria asked me to go help out in the gardens. Do you want to come?"_ She invited. I smiled widely and nodded.

"I'd love to!" I was excited to get to go look at what the apes could grow.

She lead me out of the village, passing the boys on our way, who were still struggling with Haze and Harley. They paused for a moment to watch us pass, and Harley signed energetically. _"Got them! Told you I be best hunter!_ "

I smiled widely at the small bonobo. _"Good job!"_ Haze jumped off of Ash's head and onto the ground, stopping only around three feet away from the boys.

_"Where Rain going?"_ He looked up at me with an almost sad expression. I internally 'awed' at his cuteness.

_"With Deja. I'll see you at dinner, okay?"_ I signed, giving him a reassuring smile. Haze hurried foreword and clambered up me to squeeze my neck tightly. I hugged him back and when he pulled back I set him down and nudged him back toward Blue Eyes, Ash and Harley. He rejoined his friend and Haze and Harley waved goodbye to me as I turned with Deja back toward the exit of the village.

We explained to the gorilla guard what we were doing on the way out before Deja led me down the slope and I spied the fresh hoof prints in the ground, and distractedly wondered which ones were Zira's. In a short amount of time, we reached the path I had seen earlier and this time, my curiosity was indulged as I made my way down the walkway with Deja. When we reached the end, I stopped and took everything in.

It was a huge field, it must have been at least an acre or two big. There were square shaped plots of land checkering the ground, some dark brown and sprout-less, some dotted and lined with green growth. I recognized lettuce heads starting to sprout and I spotted what looked like carrot shoots. The area was lined with bushes, some vacant, some bulging with black and blueberries. Apes were scattered here and there, crouching with the young plants. I noticed other apes with spears and such sitting the perimeter of the groves, and supposed they were watching out for predators.

Before I could take in the detail anymore, Deja tugged me along to a Brussels spout patch. I spent much of the day in the fields with Deja, and we were later joined by Brent. When the sun was starting to sink out of the orange tinted sky, many of the guards started calling to one another, not in an alarmed way, but an attention calling way. Deja explained that they were signaling that they wanted the gardeners to get ready to go. So the three of us finished up what we were doing, and stood up. I looked down at the dirt covering my forearms and could feel it on my face. My expression conveyed my distaste in being so filthy, especially so close to dinner.

_"Don't worry. We'll stop by the waterfall to wash up."_ Deja said before patting my shoulder.Brent snorted, and we both turned to him with cocked eyebrows, silently waiting for him to explain himself.

_"All you females are the same."_ He signed. " _Always so clean_ _conscious_."

" _You_ _males say it's_ _obsessive, but_ _at the_ _end of_ _the day_ _you're glad_ _you_ _have_ _someone_ _clean_ _to_ _snuggle_ _with_." Deja said.

_"Not true. I'd snuggle with you even if you were covered in mud."_ He signed back, and his face immediately dropped into a surprised expression. There was a moment of awkward silence, filled with me smirking knowingly at the two Obas as they held eye contact. They both averted their gazes at the same time and Brent cleared his throat.

"W-we. Should go, now." He stuttered, and I was pretty sure only part of the stutter was caused by his lack of verbal speech. Deja and I agreed as I looked at all the other apes making their departure in the dimming light. We followed behind Brent as we made our way to a waterfall to clean up. (One of the first things I learned was that this forest was dripping with waterfalls) Deja glanced at me and I smirked at her.

_"He likes you."_ I signed behind Brent's back.

_"Don't be silly, Rain. Of course he doesn't."_ She signed back, silent and wide eyed.

_"Whatever you say."_ I signed carefully, knowing the first hand gesture could cause sound and alert Brent of our conversation. I knew Deja was just avoiding the truth because of how shy she was, but I knew for a fact Brent liked her that way. This wasn't the first time he had slipped up, but most of the time he was much better at covering it up. I wondered for a moment as to why he hadn't told her yet, but then I dismissed the thought because, hey, that takes guts, and I wouldn't blame the poor boy for wanting time to build up his courage. I just hoped he wouldn't take too long, Deja was a pretty ape, and she had a personality to match. It couldn't be too much longer before someone else realized that too, and got to her before Brent did.

We reached the falls, and some apes were already there, rinsing the soil from their fur and grooming each other. Deja took her Obas mask off and hung it on a little indent in the rock by the water, taking in a deep breath. I smirked again when I seen Brent watching her from his peripherals, an awed, longing look in his eyes. He quickly snapped his gaze away and was saved by a gorilla starting a conversation with him. I turned and seen the reason he had averted his eyes had been because Deja was turning in his direction, and she let out a little sigh as she dunked her hands in the water to wash them.

_"Did you see that?"_ I signed excitedly, keeping my signing tight and close to my body to fend off any eavesdroppers.

_"See what?"_ She refused to meet my gaze, and I knew she was lying.

_"I think you know."_ I signed back, giving her a smile before cupping water in my now clean hands and rinsed my face off before combing my hands through my hair a few times, pulling it to the way I like it. I brushed the loose soil from my knees as I stood.

_"No I don't."_ She protested, though I could see the pink spots on her face turn a darker shade of pink, betraying her blush. I gave her a smirk.

_"Okay."_ I decided to let it go, knowing she would never admit to anything.

With that, our little trio headed back to the village, trailed by an orangutan and a bonobo. When we reached the courtyard where most of us gathered in the mornings and evenings, I was swept away by a sea of furry bodies. I fell to the ground with a surprised whoop. When my head breached the surface, I looked at my body to see it teeming with younglings. They scrambled over me, hooting and laughing and making their 'imp' sounds. I sat up and they clambered around me. I laughed as I received hugs and returned them as best I could. I reached up and pulled down the little girl who was sitting on my shoulders, combing her little fingers through my hair and when she made eye contact, she gave me a wide smile and threw her arms out in a "surprise!" Sort of way. I laughed and looked up when I realized I wasn't the only teenager laughing.

Blue Eyes and Ash stood a few feet away, laughing hard. Well, Blue Eyes was standing, partly. Ash was laughing too hard and his knees were giving out, and he hung heavily on Blue Eyes's arm, and the prince was swaying under his friends unbalanced weight. So together they staggered in place and laughed and held onto each other. The sight caused me to clap my hands together once and laughed out in joyous mirth. Some of the children separated from the pack and stormed the boys. Their already stuttered equilibrium toppled under the unexpected weight and they went down like a sack of potatoes, as they say.

This caused more laughter from everyone. I even heard laughter from the apes around us as they watched the three of us laugh under the swarm of children, who in turn thought this whole thing was hilarious. Soon the laughter dissipated and the children went off at the beckon of their mothers and other members of the community. Blue Eyes was up first, pulling Ash up by the elbow, who patted his back in thanks. I got my feet under me as the last of my giggles floated from my lips like silver bubbles in the ocean. Blue Eyes and Ash walked up to me, all of us had wide smiles on our faces.

"You two did that, didn't you?" I mocked a suspicious glare, though I couldn't wipe the smile from my face.

_"Maybe yes, maybe no."_ Blue Eyes signed.

_"The world may never know."_ Ash finished. I giggled and put a hand on my hip.

"Yeah, okay."

_"Come on. Let's go get some food."_ Blue Eyes signed, still smirking.

I followed them to the stone slab that was laden with fruits and nuts and berries while the smell of roasting meat wafted through the air. We filled our plates but instead of going to join Caesar and Cornelia, we sat by a little fire pit and signed with each other as we ate. Soon I felt a weight on my back that made me haunch foreword for a moment before I turned to see Haze peeking over my shoulder. I smiled at him and offered up one of my blueberries. He took it and ate it quickly before coming to plop down in my lap.

_"Rain and brother not with mother and father."_ He signed, his gaze switching between us expectantly.

_"Sorry, Haze."_ I signed, giving him an apologetic look.

_"We eat with you everyday."_ Blue Eyes added.

_"Haze missed brother and Rain."_ He pouted. I 'awed' and gave him a hug.

_"I missed you too."_ I signed, giving the top of his head a little kiss. He let out a giggle only a child could giggle and hugged me again. Haze spent the rest of the communal supper with the three of us, and I got a good show of watching Blue Eyes and Ash teach Haze how to play a game they made up when they were younger. The day soon ended and I retreated to my hollow for the night. I burrowed into the softness of my hanging bed with a yawn and drifted off into slumber.

-the next morning-

I was at the pasture, giving Zira a few carrots to go with her breakfast. I petted her nose as she chomped on the thick orange stalks. I heard the snort of a horse and turned to see Blue Eyes leading his horse to the pasture gate, hunters paint covering him. When he turned away from the gate, I got a look at his chest. Two ragged looking slash marks traveled from his left shoulder and across his chest, as well as a third under them, not on his arm. The cuts were bleeding, and I could see in his stiff body language that he was in pain.

"Blue Eyes!" I gasped, rushing toward him, completely forgetting about Zira. "What happened? Are you okay?" He held eye contact for a moment before turning his face away shamefully, the small smile he usually gave me was absent. I noticed another smaller cut on his left cheekbone, under his eye.

"Blue?" I prompted. He let out a small sigh through his nose and turned back to me, lips parted slightly.

"Come on, let's go to the Obas." I said gently, seeing his pride and maybe his ego was hurt. He looked down again and nodded slowly. I told him to wait there for a moment before jogging toward Zira and grabbing her reins as a lead rope and jogging toward the pasture gate, forcing the horse into a trot. I opened the gate and the horse seemed to pick up on my urgency and trotted inside the barrier with no trouble. I quickly made my way back to Blue Eyes. We soon stepped inside the Obas' healing hut and spotted Aria. She was working on a gorilla with a badly scrapped up arm, and when she seen the wounds on her prince, she took a look around, noticing how empty the hut was, then back down at her own patients wound then back at us. It only took a quick scan of the area to see that any other Oba inside was with a patient.

_"No one available right now. You know what to do."_ The head Oba signed.

My brows raised in surprise. "Me?" I asked.

She turned back to me. _"Yes, you. Now go, that's not going to treat itself."_ She waved me toward the back of the hut, where supplies were kept. I shrugged mentally and pulled Blue Eyes toward the herb stores. Once in a room, I sat him down on a moss cot and went about finding a rag and bowl to fill with water. I went about gently washing away the blood and paint, trying to focus more on the injury than on the ape who was injured. Now wasn't the time for girlish thoughts. When the wounds were clean enough, I crushed the appropriate herbs into a pasty poultice before scooping some up in my index and middle fingers and starting to gently slather the healing herbs into the wounds on his chest.

Blue Eyes winced with a sharp intake of air at the contact. I whispered a swift apology, hating that I had to cause him pain but it had to be done. He grunted and I could see his jaw tighten as he clamped his teeth together. Once the three on his chest was taken care of, I dipped my finger into more of the poultice and gently rubbed it over the cut on his face, trying desperately to not blush, and tried even harder to avoid eye contact.

"How did this happen?" I voiced one of the questions ringing in my mind.

He hesitated before catching my eye with a sad look."Bear." He muttered. My eyes widened and my mind immediately pulled up images of Dax trapped between a tree and a brown bear, swinging a machete desperately to ward off the beast. Both of us would have died that day had it not been for Caesar and Rocket. I closed my eyes and tried to banish the memory. My eyes slid open when I felt a touch under my chin, and I saw that Blue Eyes had hooked a feather light finger under my chin and was watching my eyes.

_"I'm okay."_ He signed with his other hand, keeping his other on me. He gave me a small, one sided smile of reassurance.

I sighed and nodded lightly. _"I'm glad you are."_

Blue Eyes offered me another smile, and I was content to just stare into those pools of liquid sky, as I smiled back. I didn't know how I would feel if something really bad had happened to him, if something had happened differently during his confrontation with the bear, if he hadn't come back to me. I didn't want to imagine a life without his jokes and smiles so small you'd think he was hiding them. The thought poured a concoction of dread, fear and paranoid pain over my heart, and it caused confusion to bloom in my brain. It forced me to think about just how strong my feelings for Blue Eyes were. But I didn't know how to measure something like that, and I was left without an answer.

 


	13. Chapter 13

_Fog swirled around me, dark as smoke. Sounds were all around me, muddled and overlapped to the point where I couldn't make out one mutilated voice from the other. It blared around me, echoing in a deafening cacophony. My heart rate picked up and my breathing quickened as my eyes darted around, paranoia dripping icicles of fear into my stomach. The fog parted in front of me and ashy colored figures with smudged faces and features flocked around in front of me. They rushed to and fro like a flock of birds. Fear infused and induced tears brimmed in my eyes, and all of a sudden my body got hot. Heat cocooned me to the point where I thought I had been placed in an oven._

_But suddenly a thunderous boom sounded, and a rush of more hot air came crashing over me, knocking me off my feet like a rogue wave. I hit the ground with a frightened cry as pain shot up from my tailbone to my spine. The ashen figures returned as the smoky fog swirled around my waist and a new set of sounds rang out. The figures dissipated and left two, standing facing each other with a ten foot distance between them._

_"Rain!" My name was called out in a youthfully deep, husky voice that almost made me dizzy with the way it pronounced my name. The figures then dashed at each other, and when they met in the middle they embraced. The smaller of the two was picked up and spun around before being placed back on its feet and hugged again. Before any more could happen, the figures dissipated into wispy vapors. The charcoal colored fog moved in again, like ornate oak doors to a mansion, shutting luminously closed, locking away the buildings secrets._

_Then a voice rang out, louder than the rest. "Daddy!" A girl breathed. But as soon as it came, it was gone and I was left trying to get to my feet. The earth started shaking and trembling like a leaf in a windstorm. I staggered about, arms fanned out trying to balance myself out, but at one point the earth seemed to tip like a boat riding a lopsided wave, and I tumbled to my side. When the earthquake stopped its rumbling, the smell of fire burned my nose with its acrid scent, and I looked around fearfully for the source of the flames. I could see nothing, but was distracted by a scream that was not human. It was oddly familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint the memory in which I'd heard it before. I couldn't figure out the epicenter of the scream either, and I hopped to my feet, afraid that the creature that had sounded the angry call would find me. More screaming filled my ears, and like the first, they were not human. But the screams didn't just project anger, many resonated fear and frenzied confusion. I covered my ears and ducked my head, thinking that somehow if I couldn't hear it, the sounds would disappear. My hands did nothing to help, but suddenly, all the noise ceased and I wondered if the ringing in my ears meant I had gone deaf as my hands dropped to grip each other in front of my chest_.

_Then, a deep, almost booming tone growled the word. "Run."_

_The smoky fog cleared again like the opening of the curtains at a play to reveal another, single ashen figure. In its hand was a black object, and it didn't take me long to recognize it as a gun. I gasped and took a step back. My heart skipped a beat the moment before the barrel lit up and a loud BANG! sounded_.

I could still hear the echoes of the gunshot in my head even as I snapped awake. My chest heaved and my heart pounded and when the blood stopped rushing in my ears, I found that I could still hear the echo, though barely. Then the air was filled with shrieks and screeches, and I jumped out of my hammock, almost tripping over a blanket when doing so, and approached the cine that divided me from the rest of the colony. I pulled back the hanging vegetation to peek outside, and quickly dropped it away with a gasp when a dark blur sped past, down the spiral staircase of the Home Tree. I poked my head out again and seen a figure that, coming from that direction, could only have been Caesar lope out the village gates, along with a large wave of males rushing after the king. That's when I realized the gunshot sound hadn't just been in my nightmare, the apes had heard it as well.

A series of short hoots got my attention and I looked up and to my left to see Cornelia standing by the bend, holding a sleeping Haze in her arms. She waved me up to her, and I complied, making sure the soft doeskin dress I adorned was fitting appropriately after my sleep. I quickly joined her, looking over my shoulder at the riled up apes still in the village. I was still slightly breathless from the night fright I recently suffered, but my thoughts were on the sound that had faded from the air, but I could still hear the advancing apes who had rushed off to investigate.

_"What was that?"_ I signed to the queen.

_"Something bad."_ She signed distantly, watching the Gates. Then she turned her pale green gaze on me and took a step toward me. _"Feeling okay?"_ She placed a soft palm on my cheek, scanning my face.

_"I..had a nightmare."_ I signed, looking down and trying to banish the memories of the scare.

She looked at me sympathetically. _"Come. We stay together until Caesar gets back."_ She said, turning away and walking up the stairs to her own home.

I lidded my surprise and followed the beautiful chimpanzee, happy to get away from the chill that still lingered in the air. It was early, the sun not yet risen but shedding a milky light into the clouded sky. I followed Cornelia to the penthouse of the Home Tree and she beckoned me inside. I paused at the threshold, remembering the last time I stood here, remembered not being able to take my eyes off the village Gates from here in hopes that I would see my brother walk through. Remembering how silly I would have imagined myself feeling if he had. I forced the thoughts away and into the breeze before I could hurt myself with memories.

When I stepped inside, I felt the warmth of the many lanterns and candles scattered around the spacious room. Near the middle was a large moss bed and beyond that, at the back of the room, I spotted what looked to be a table and two chairs. I walked forward curiously. When I approached I seen that on the table was what looked like a chess board, equipped with player pieces. They weren't the same as the ones made by humans, but I could tell which was supposed to represent which. I remembered playing this game with my grandfather, very vaguely. I realized I was subconsciously tracing the edge of the board with a finger. I pulled my hand away and looked to where Cornelia stood, Haze no longer occupying her arms. I was worried she'd be annoyed that I was touching one of belongings but instead she gave me a small smile and signed, _"Do you know how to play? Caesar calls it Chess."_

She approached as I looked down at the board, nodding my head. "My mother taught me. I used to play it with my grandfather." I murmured.

Cornelia let out a little giggle, and the sound made me wonder just how old she was. _"Caesar taught Blue Eyes. Now, my son beats Caesar every time they play. The face Caesar makes never fails to make me laugh."_ She signed, even more bubbly, girlish laughter pouring from her.

I smiled and shared her amusement. "Sounds entertaining." I murmured, not wanting to disturb little Haze, who now slept in the folds of softness that made up the bed in the middle of the room. Cornelia nodded in agreement, but her smile slowly faded, and she turned her head to look out one of the windows that was in one of the walls. I made a little sound that reminded me of the tiny little grunts Haze made to get Cornelia's attention. When she turned to me, I lifted my hand to sign, _"What's wrong?"_

She let out a small sigh. _"Worried. Blue Eyes went fishing with Ash this morning. I fear for them."_ She signed, the happy mood completely forgotten, and the sound that had woken me from my frightened slumber came back to the surface of my recollection.

"That sound. What was it?" I asked quietly, not wanting to believe it was what I thought it had been.

Cornelia's gaze went to the window again, lifting a hand to form one word. _"Gun."_

We tucked down beside one another silently, and started grooming. She combed out my locks with her fingers while I ran my small, slender fingers through the hair on her leg. We did this for a few minutes until Haze started to wake. One glance outside was all it took to let me know it was nearing the time the community gathered for breakfast. Cornelia beckoned her son over to her and he sleepily crawled over, not awake enough to stand up bipedal. He plopped down into her lap and she proceeded to groom him. I moved to her side and started grooming the back of her shoulder. We stayed like that for a while, just sitting in comfortable silence, listening to Haze yawn. When Haze woke up some more and noticed I was here, he made a cute little sound and crawled his way up to my shoulders. He then started to do his own grooming on my scalp. We switched positions so I was grooming Cornelia's other leg while the queen ran her fingers through my hair, combing out the knots. I normally did this with Deja or Lisa, or on one occasion. Blue Eyes, after breakfast.

My thoughts went to my dream. I'd multiple strange dreams since I came here, but that was the most shocking and frightening by far. Most of my dreams were reoccurring, and I desperately hoped that that wouldn't be the case for this new nightmare. The ending of the dream floated up to my memory, to the figure with the gun. I had never seen a gun in real life. I remember seeing them in movies a few times as a child, and I remembered the sound and what they could do. Guns were destructive and loud, that's a reason why I preferred the quiet stealth of an archery set. Then something struck me. Guns don't grow on trees. There's no scenario I could think of that would involve a completely natural cause of that sound. That meant one thing, and one thing only.

There was a human in the forest.

A cold drop of dread caused my spine to stiffen. I had thought I would never have to see another human being again, and I was perfectly okay with that. It's not like anyone misses me. I crossed out the option of there being a search party out there, especially since I've been here for months and there's never been a single hint of human activity out there. I didn't want any humans here. The chance of it being someone who came in peace seemed unlikely, but it seemed even more so that they would know who was in these mountains. I had been completely shocked by the apes' presence, but I doubted anyone would be so cooperative, remembering the way Dax had acted upon our first meeting.

But now, two of my closest friends were out in the forest, and I had heard a gun's explosive firing sound ring out like a sough. A wave of fear rushed through me, what if one of them was hurt? My thoughts quickly flew to Blue Eyes's still very fresh scars, would he be coming home with another? I started when I felt a hand on my own, which had dropped into my lap. I looked up to see Cornelia looking at me with a concerned expression. I took a quick glance around to see Haze gone. I asked about his absence and she answered that a friend from class came, asking to play.

_"Are you alright?"_ She added.

I sighed and signed, _"Worried."_

She gave me a sympathetic smile and nodded her head. _"Me too."_

The queen lifted her hands to sign something but was interrupted by a familiar voice shout out the word, "No!" The word stopped the sounds of the village noise. Cornelia and I shared a moment of eye contact before we both shot up and hurried to the window. My eyes scanned the area to find the familiar dark brown coats and one grey coat of my friends. I spotted Ash first, sitting with a group of older males, who were signing and discussing something. As I looked at the features of each, I recognized Rocket, and I was fairly certain the gorilla with his back to me was Luca, as well as Maurice. Then I seen the stocky build of Blue Eyes, watching the male whom I realized to be Caesar, signing something.

"They're back!" I sighed with relief, feeling it rush over me coolly.

_"Caesar called a Council meeting.."_ Cornelia signed, distracted.

"I wonder what happened out there." I thought out loud as Cornelia pulled me away from the window.

Cornelia decided to play Chess, for some reason, and I wondered if she was looking for distraction. I complied quietly and obediently started playing, glad for something to do with my head other than think of bad scenarios to explain the odd start to the day. We were halfway in when a shuffling sound at the threshold and seen it was Caesar and Blue Eyes, Blue Eyes looking at Caesar with an almost guarded, expectant look, like he was waiting for an answer to something, but froze when he seen they were not alone. Cornelia and I shared a glance before turning back to the males, and my eyes widened a little when I seen something in Caesar's grasp. The object was so familiar it caused a nervous jump in my stomach.

"Is that...?" I trailed off, wondering if I was correct about its origins. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Caesar watched my expression carefully before he came a few steps closer.

_"You know this..?"_ He signed.

I glanced up at the king before sliding from the chair to sit beside it on my knees, looking back at the satchel the large ape held. "I don't know...I can't figure out where I've seen that before." I made eye contact again, reaching out a little with one hand. "May I?"

He hesitated, but he tossed it towards me, and when I opened it up, I started sifting through it. I found a book, a pencil bag, and what felt like a few comic books. I pulled out the first book and immediately knew who this belonged to.

"This is Alexander's." I realized, recognizing the sketchbook. When a grunt sounded, I looked up to see the all three sit around me, forming a circle.

_"You know who this belongs to?"_ Caesar signed, continuing to watch my face.

I nodded. "His father was my mother's best friend." I started flipping through the pages, looking at the drawings. Scenes of burning buildings, bloody streets and sadness soaked many pages, and I seen the hardships the humans of San Francisco endured during the Simian Flu epidemic. Memories flooded me, memories of watching men riot and hearing women screaming at night, children crying. I remembered how my mother tried to shelter Dax and I from the brutality and cruel desperation that befell the human race, but we seen it all. I froze when I turned a page and recognized the girl sketched into the page. Numb shock flowed through my bones as my lips parted, drawing in air at an increasing rate. I set the book down and pulled my legs to my chest, and started scooting backwards until my spine pressed against the leg of the chair behind me. All my mind could come up with was five words. _Oh my God. He saw._

Drawn graphic novel style into the page was a girl. Her T-shirt was ripped off from the abdomen down, revealing a too-thin-to-be-healthy body. Obvious hints of a rib cage showed under her skin, like a movie trailer, showing a tease of what was to come. Her arms were impossibly thin, though tiny hills of muscle were delicately drawn on, as well as her legs, though the jeans she wore gave the impression of a some-what healthy weight, but the sight of how thin her waist was gave away the efforts of the belt synched tightly to keep the too-big jeans on her bony hips. The girl's head was turned away, a waterfall of dark hair cascaded down and stopped between her breasts, little hints of her nose and eyelashes peaked out like an anxious play actor on opening night, searching the crowd from behind a big red curtain. Beneath her was a sentence etched into the paper multiple times over in surprisingly neat handwriting for a male.

_Selflessness in its most damaged form_

The girl was me.

The book was turned away by Caesar's fingers as he turned it to get a better look at the picture. Blue Eyes leaned closer to his father's shoulder as they both glared down at the page as they examined it. Blue Eyes was the first to look up and meet my gaze. His lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but all I could do was revert my eyes back to the drawing. The image of the black haired boy flashed in my mind, his quiet observing nature had seen through my walls. He saw me. I had hid it so well from everyone, and at the first glimpse of my bones he knew. I remembered Alexander's face when he seen how thin I had been, just a few years ago.

This drawing, that girl who's skeleton was rising up, trying to escape her body as if it would be free if it pushed itself hard enough through her skin, was me. The girl etched in graphite that showed the results of her generosity, the result of giving to others what she barely had so that they could live another day, was right there for all and any to see. This was back when a famine had been sweeping through the human colony. My small family was getting more food than we needed because of my mother's high rank and importance, so I had been sneaking out to give most of my dinners to the elderly homeless who dotted the streets, and to the younger children at the orphanage. I hid my hunger from my family for three weeks until my mother noticed the drop in my weight. I refused to tell her at first, afraid of what she would have said, but one night she had caught me on my way to sneak out, and I was forced to explain.

Of coarse she had tried to stop me. But I had inherited her own stubbornness and she knew it, so she put a twenty four hour daily watch on my eating habits, bringing me food and not leaving the room until she witnessed every bite I took. It was a total pain in my ass, but I understood her motives. But as soon as she let up I took advantage of my loosened leash and went back to feeding the helpless. Not long after that, Dax caught me. He took me straight to mom, not listening to my pleas not to. He had replied that he denied my requests because he wasn't going to cover for me while I starved myself to death. I had resented that and stubbornly replied, "I'm not starving myself!"

But to no avail, he took me to our mother, or how I had seen her at that time, our personal school principle. She had examined my body and gave me a stern talking to, saying that if I didn't stop now and put on some real weight, I would soon become anorexic. I had seen anorexic people before in the city, especially during that time. Many immune Flu survivors had died from malnutrition, and there were still some on their way down that dark road today in the city. I knew that anorexia was not something I wanted to acquire, and I grudgingly stopped to save myself, feeling selfish every time I looked out the window.

But before my family could force this correction, my mother's best friend, Malcolm's son, Alexander, had seen the truth of my empathy. I had been rushing home after an encounter with a bully, and my shirt had caught on the sharp end of a broken pipe sticking out of a wall I ran too close to, and in my panicked state I had wrenched myself free, tearing the fabric and leaving it hanging. I had climbed through my window and into the bathroom down the hall. I had been able to tell by the laughter in the house that Malcolm was there at the time, so I had closed the door and cried silently with my back pressed against the cool bathtub. Alexander had walked in and in surprise I stood up, and he seen my ribs through my skin, how bony and scrawny my arms had become. I had begged him not to tell, and he had reluctantly agreed. But my hunger ravaged body was not all he had seen. He had seen me cry. And I knew that in those tears he had seen the pain I endured and hid, locked away by a cheerful smile. He never brought it up, but I knew he knew, and that terrified me.

I was jerked out of my thoughts by a hand on my shoulder, and I startled as my head shot to the left. I seen Cornelia's concerned gaze on me, and I returned it with a wide eyed, parted lipped expression of surprise. My face then dropped and I kept my gaze on my lap. I knew what she wanted, what they all wanted to know, why I had reacted the way I did at seeing that picture.

"That's me." I murmured. "The girl on the page is me." I looked up through my lashes when I heard a small grunt to get my attention.

_"What happened?"_ Blue Eyes signed slowly.

I hesitated, and looked at my lap again, trying to wrangle the courage to say it out loud. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

"Do you remember the day, Dax and I were arguing and he said he didn't ever want to see me so thin?" I continued when I received a nod from Cornelia. "That's what he was talking about."

_"How did this happen?"_ Blue Eyes repeated, not fully satisfied with my answer.

I bit my lip. For some reason I was reluctant to say, but I explained what had happened to result in my turning into a bag of bones. By the end my eyes burned from the tears I was fighting to pull back.

"What happened out there?" I asked, not wanting to dwell on my past.

_"Humans in the forest. Shot Ash."_ Caesar signed with a grave look on his face.

My face lit up with shock. _"Is he okay?"_ I gasped.

Caesar nodded. " _He_ _is_ _fine_." I sensed that there was more he wanted to say, but seemed to be thinking it over in his mind.

"What is it?" I prompted.

He held my eye contact, scanning my face with a guarded, almost suspicious expression. _"Could they be looking for you?"_ He signed slowly.

My brows rose and I shook my head. "No. Why would they want a misfit like me back? You've seen how most humans treat me." I added quietly, looking down at my hands in my lap.

But if Alexander was here, it was probably safe to say Malcolm had been with him, Malcolm was protective of his son and I doubted he would let Alexander travel into the mountains alone. I wanted to know why they were here, what could have possibly persuaded them to come into the mountains? It's not that I didn't like them, but I had thought I would never see another human for the rest of my life, and I was perfectly okay with that. Why did they have to be here? Did they bring anyone else? Why did they shoot Ash? Who shot Ash? What was going to happen to me? A new thought pushed its way into my brain. What if the apes got angry and blamed me for this? What would I do? Sure, I might be able to take care of myself in the wild better than I had been before but I didn't want to leave. I couldn't leave. I had too much to lose.

"I don't think I'm the reason they came up here." I added. "It has to be something else."

_"What's going to happen now?"_ Cornelia signed, voicing a thought that had been tickling the back of my brain.

_"I will make sure they stay away."_ Caesar signed to his wife.

A tense, awkward air descended upon us, so strong it was almost palpable. I looked up from my hands when I heard Blue Eyes grunt my name. _"Let's go see Ash."_ He signed.

I was more than glad for a reason to leave as I nodded and bid the king and queen goodbye. I followed closely behind Blue Eyes as we silently descended the staircase around the massive Home Tree's trunk. When we reached the ground he glanced at me. _"Do you still want to see Ash?"_

I looked at him, head quirked in confusion. "I thought that's what you wanted to do."

_"Ash is fine. Honestly..."_ His hands dropped a bit as we walked. _"I need to get out of here. Will you keep me company?"_ He glanced at me.

"Of course." I nodded.

With that, I followed Blue Eyes through the Gates, in step with the prince. We walked between the titanous redwoods and pines, through the lush shrubbery and over the moist green moss blanketing the forest floor. We didn't take to the trees, and I was fine to just follow Blue Eyes' lead. I could tell by his stony, masked expression that he was completely wrapped up in his thoughts. I stayed silent, pushing away the thoughts of before, and paying attention the forest around me. I tried not to imagine what humans could have wanted up here, but my brain conjured up images of bulldozers plowing down the smaller trees that warmed the giants that surrounded up. I shivered at the thought. Twenty minutes later we were still trekking through the forest, but the trees had thinned out some, we were approaching a mountain's foothill. Something about it struck me as familiar, and I brought it to Blue Eyes' attention.

He stayed silent, but beckoned me to follow behind him as he started ascension. When we made it to the top, I beamed at what I found. It was the little valley we had found after the earthquake all those days ago. The sun shone down through the clouds onto the beautiful windflower patches dotting the grass, and the large oak trees towered over the land, like masoned lions guarding a cathedral's doors. I breathed in a lungful, and smelled last nights rainfall still heavy in the morning air. I glanced at Blue Eyes to see him staring at the valley, his face expressionless. I nudged him with an elbow.

"Are we going to stand here staring all day? Or do you actually want to go in?" I said with a playful smile.

He tried to cover up his chuckle. _"Shut up."_ He signed and walked down the rocky path, head high. I tittered and followed him down into the grass. When we reached the bottom we fell into the shadow of the rocky mountainside, I noticed the cave mouth that led to the cavern. When I seen the stream flowing out, I thought back to my last bath two days ago. _Might as well,_ I thought.

"I'm gonna go in there." Was all the explanation I gave Blue Eyes as I veered off and into the tunnel, not nearly as afraid as I was the first time. I heard Blue Eyes huff with annoyance and heard his footsteps trot after mine. _Well, I guess that means half a bath this time._ I thought. When I stepped into the blue green glow of the cavern, my eyes went to the water falling from the large, jagged crack in the rock. As I approached the pool, I stared down into the water, finding that the algae that coated the walls could also be find on the sides of the pool. But my eyes were drawn to the white froth churned by the waterfall, and found nervous caution swirling in my stomach.

"How deep do you think it is?" I wondered out loud.

I heard Blue Eyes grunt. _"Maybe you shouldn't get in..."_ He signed, looking down at the water suspiciously.

"I'll get in slowly." I decided, choosing to throw caution to the wind. With that, I shimmied out of my dress and nudged it away from the edge a little before dipping a toe into the water. I gasped and quickly withdrew my foot at the cold, but quickly gained my nerve back and stepped in. I shivered as my ankles ached for a moment before going numb, and I decided that this would be a short bath. I subconsciously fixed my bra strap on my shoulder, the back of my mind knowing Blue Eyes was still there.

As I made my way closer to the falling liquid, I tested each step carefully, pausing at each stone shifting. When I deemed it safe, I stepped under the water. It wasn't a hard shoulder beating like I had been expecting, but a firm, icy flow. When my hair was completely soaked, I went about scrubbing my arms and sides, as well as my shoulders. I cleared my mind and focused solely on cleansing, which was easier than I had initially supposed. My lungs were clear and filled with cool, wet rock scented air, and it helped calm my still lurking confusion from the earlier events of the day.

But all sense of inner calmness shattered when a splash sounded behind me, one that did not belong to the waterfall. I turned and looked up from where I had been washing one of my legs to see Blue Eyes had hopped into the water. His eyes were on me, and I stayed stone still as I watched his sky colored gaze travel up my leg where my hands had been scrubbing, all the way up to my neck, slowly, taking in every detail that was me. His expression showed an almost ignorant curiosity, as well as an emotion I was too timid to peg as desire churning in his eyes, much like the way the waterfall kissed the surface of the pool.

I held my breath as it hitched in my throat. Blue Eyes moved closer, his eyes grazing over my collarbone. The water was to his knee caps now, and rising ever higher as he stepped closer to me. A few more steps and we'd be chest to chest. I resisted the urge to bite my lip in a way to deal with the nerves that were raking through me, though I soon caved and nibbled on my lower lip. My rib cage practically hummed with the rapid beat of a hummingbird heart, and I was particularly glad about the cold temperatures of the water around me to cool my heated skin. Blue Eyes was closer now, the water at his thighs. Close enough that if one of us reached out a little, we would touch. Almost as if he read my mind, the blue eyed prince reached out a large hand, and ran his fingers over my right side, down my midriff to float off the curve of my hip.

All at once the air seemed to leave me.

I closed my eyes for a moment while a different kind of shivers ran down my spine. I opened my eyes again and looked up to see him, the feel of his callused palm on my skin seeped into my memory, and another shiver traveled through me as I locked eyes with him. Blue Eyes took another step closer and both his hands rose up to my hips, his thumbs caressing the skin over my hipbones. My hands traveled up to his chest, and I ran my fingers through the hair there, feeling the strong muscle underneath, and I made precautions of the new scar tissue marring his stocky chest. Blue Eyes' palms ran up my sides and back down, once even traveling over my thighs until they drifted back to their original place on my hips. I breathed in a soothing breath to attempt to calm my frazzled nerve endings. Blue Eyes stepped closer again, and I in turn took a step toward him, rendering us chest to chest.

His hands traveled up to hold my waist, and mine on the nape of his neck on both sides as my gaze was trapped by his. Blue Eyes' irises seemed to be a darker shade of sky, like a cloud stroked twilight. A magnetic-like pull seemed to tug at my heart as I stared into those dazzling pools of liquid sapphire. He leaned down and our foreheads touched. I felt him wrap his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him, so I slinked my arms around his neck, eyes drooping closed as I shared this moment with Blue Eyes. I felt the warmth in the press of his fingers seep into my skin, but the warmth turned into a burning ember as his fingers started moving, stroking the skin, running his index finger up and down my spine. The motion caused a jolt of lightning to travel up the lissome curve of my body.

I felt our chests pushing against each other as we breathed, and it willed me to let my eyes flutter open, and I seen Blue Eyes do the same in stereo with me. We both seemed to freeze in place, and I wished we could stay like this forever. Something changed in his expression as his eyes traveled slowly down my face, stopping above my chin. My heart fluttered and picked up the pace, and I was certain he'd be able to hear it. Blue Eyes suddenly dipped his head and his lips fell onto mine. My brows went up slightly in surprise, but then drifted back down as my eyes shuttered shut. Kissing him was a completely new sensation, one I could never of imagined. I had found myself wondering before what this would be like, at night when sleep seemed to evade me, but no amount of wondering or imagining could have prepared me for this. My body became a bolt of lightning as I clung to Blue Eyes, gently coaxing him through. I had seen apes kiss before, and had been secretly pleasantly surprised, but I never brought it to attention that I even noticed.

Now, all I could think of was how everywhere our skin touched little embers of happiness burned right through my skin down into my bones. We parted when the need for air grew too great, and our foreheads came together again. I panted slightly, feeling Blue Eyes' hot breath mingling in mine as he tried to catch his breath. Now the fact that this had actually happened, that Blue Eyes had actually kissed me, fell over me like marbles, cluttering and bouncing and rolling onto the floor with echoing _tik-ti-ti-tik-tiiik_ sounds, and my cheeks warmed up, though not as much as I would have guessed.

Our eyes met and we shared a moment of nervous giggles, and with a smile, I murmured, "We should probably get out of this water."

He puffed out a breath of short laughter through his nose and nodded, glancing up at the water rushing smoothly down beside us. The icy feel of the water no longer bothered me, my skin had a fuzzy, tingly feel, like hot dandelion seeds floating and drifting over my body. I stepped out of the chilly water and rung out my hair, twisting and squeezing to expel the moisture. I shook it out and moved it to the way I liked it as I picked up my dress, drawing it over my head and fitting it correctly. I turned to Blue Eyes and seen him, not doing a thing about the water soaking part of him as he watched me. I gave him a little smile and averted my gaze, not believing myself strong enough to hold that smoldering blue gaze.

Silently, (not uncomfortably) we made our way out of the glowing cavern and into the patchy sunlight. I liked the feel of the grass on my bare feet, and wiggled my toes appreciatively. We approached one of the many oak trees that littered the grasses, and I bent my neck back to stare up into the branches. I licked my lips and started climbing, going rather quickly, much to my enjoyment. I heard leaves and branches brush and betray Blue Eyes' silence as he followed. With a silent grunt, I pulled myself up onto a space where the trunk branched off in a way that almost seemed another trunk was sprouting out of the original, it's branches fanning out and upward. It left enough space in the middle for me to sprawl out and there would still be enough room for another or two. I sat down and leaned against the trunk and closed my eyes, enjoying the warm sunlight filtering strongly onto my body through a breech in the cloud bank, as well as the warmth I could feel from Blue Eyes' body beside me.

"So what happened out there?" I asked after around five minutes of silence.

I peeked an eye open and met his glacial gaze. He looked away, his thinking face on. When he turned back he lifted his hands and signed. _"Ash and I went fishing. We were on our way back, and we seen a human. He was skittish and kept mumbling. He pulled out a..."_ He trailed off and shaped his hands, pulling a face like the gesture left a bad taste in his mouth. _"..gun. I guess Ash moved too much and the next thing I know there was this loud noise, and Ash was on the ground."_ He paused. _"Then Father and the others got there, as well as more humans. Most of the males had guns. The leader and Father stared each other down, and the human backed down. He told the others to do the same. Father made them leave."_ Blue Eyes had a distant look on his face, it was part of his thinking face, and part of a confused pout. It was adorable in my opinion, and it made me want to lean over and kiss him again. But I hid and resisted the urge and pushed them away, he needed a friend right now.

I shook my head and looked down. "I don't understand why they would come up here." I muttered.

_"You're sure they're not looking for you?"_ Blue Eyes signed.

I nodded. "I'm sure."

_"What was it like for you?"_ Blue Eyes suddenly signed, and for a moment I feared he was talking about our kiss, but I felt a wave of relief flow over me when he added, _"In the city."_

I looked away. "I already told you. And Ash."

Blue Eyes grunted for my attention. _"No, you told us what it's like for humans in general. I want to know what your life was like."_ He explained.

I shook my head a little, not in a 'no' way, but in a denial-like manner. There were memories that I just wasn't ready to face in my past, and that was it. I didn't really want Blue Eyes to know the raw truth of my out-of-the-family life, I didn't want him to think less of me. "It's not a good story." I bit my lip nervously. A warmth touched my hand and pressed up to my palm. I looked down to see Blue Eyes' hand on mine, our palms laying against each other, with our fingers fanning up and out. I straightened my digits out against his and stared in wonder at how small and contrasting my hands were to his. I lightly rubbed my fingers over the pads of his digits for a moment before I laced my fingers with his. I leaned my head back against the tree bark and turned my head slightly to look him in the eye.

"Do you really want to know?" I murmured softly.

His light hues searched my face, and I suddenly had the urge to know what color he saw in my irises. I wondered if they ever looked as bright and fantastic as his. His eyes looked even more so now, the red scar tissue on his dark fur made his eyes pop wonderfully. He gave a tiny nod, so small that if I hadn't been focusing on his eyes and seen them incline under his brow slightly, I would never of known of his conformation. I sighed and nodded, looking down at my lap. I nibbled on my bottom lip as I thought of a place to start. I drew in a soothing breath and began.

"I wasn't born in the city." I started. I felt his gaze turn onto me, but I forced myself to continue. "I was born in a place far away from here, called Washington state. I went to the city when the Flu breakout started, to see my aunt. But when we got to her house...everyone was already dead inside." My eyes burned with tears as I thought of how I found my family, strewn about the house in heaps, blood splotched on their clothes, and hands or arms. It had been terrifying and confusing for my seven year old self, and I had clutched Dax tightly and buried my face into his (at the time) bony chest.

"The borders closed soon after that, and we were stuck in the city. My mom met the chief of police, who became the leader of the human colony, and through him she was reunited with her childhood friend, Malcolm. That's when I met him and his son. He had just lost his wife. After a few years Dax was caught too close to an explosion, and that's how he lost his hearing. That was a rough patch." I paused to take a deep breath. "Just after we learned to sign fluently, my best friend killed herself." I was forced to stop when my voice cracked. Flashes of bloody tiles and slit wrists and a pale neck flickered in my head, and I rushed to push them away before I started crying. A singular tear had already paved a wet trail down my cheek, and I quickly swiped it away.

Blue Eyes jerked forward and stared at me, eyes wide and mouth moving closed and shut for a moment like a fish out of water as he struggled to form words. "Kill. _Herself?_ " He looked and sounded completely baffled.

I gave him a confused look. "You've never heard of-?" I paused, then huffed out a dry laugh at my stupidity. "Of course you wouldn't of heard of that. Why would anyone here want do that?" Blue Eyes stared at me with alarm written all over his face, his lips parted in shock.

"It's not exactly...uncommon, for a human to take their own life." I murmured gently, feeling uncomfortable because I didn't know exactly how to explain this to him. "Especially now. So many humans have lost everything they ever loved and knew, and for many, it's all too much. Teenagers are usually the ones to end themselves. It's hard to explain. Everyone has their own reasons and feelings and sometimes they don't even know what those reasons are, just what they're feeling." I turned to make eye contact with the handsome male.

"You have to understand that the human colony isn't like the ape colony. Here, it's amazing. The people are happy and flourishing in a beautiful world. In the human city, everything is broken and bleak...there's almost no more beauty there. The people are dying and hungry and struggling to pretend that everything is okay. You would be surprised at how easy it is to feel alone even when you're surrounded by people." I didn't want to dwell on this, it was a hard subject. I think Blue Eyes picked up on my feelings toward our current topic and seemed to let it go for now. He leaned back again and re-laced our fingers together.

"Does your story, get better?" He murmured. I leaned my head back against the bark, and squeezed his fingers. I took a moment to revel in the wonderfully soft and rough feel of his hand enfolding mine before I answered his question.

"It does." I paused. "After four more years of social rejection and abuse and taking every class the colony school system had to offer, I was called to the colony leader's office and he told me that I would be going up into the mountains to fix the dam up here. When I got back to my home, I told my mom and brother about it, and neither of them wanted me to go. Dax was really reluctant to let me go, and the only reason he let me out of the house was because my mom wanted him to come with me." I paused to take a breath. "So the next morning, we left and came here. When we stopped I went to the river to get water, and when I came back a bear was attacking my brother. Then you, Rocket and Caesar showed up, and you know the rest." I gave him the shortened version.

We were silent for a few minutes, and I sat quietly and enjoyed the close contact while Blue Eyes digested everything I had said. I closed my eyes and tried to wipe away everything from my mind, I just wanted to sit here and soak up the warm fuzzes that were skimming up my arm from our interlocked fingers.

"It's not as sad as it sounds." I added. Blue Eyes grunted in confusion. "That was just my outside of the family life. My life with my mom and Dax was wonderful. We laughed a lot, and Dax and I were almost always together, so much so that my mother started calling me his shadow." I gave a little laugh at the memory. "We were always having a good time together, it was great." I smiled fondly, thinking about all the times I fell on the ground laughing because of Dax's antics or my moms jokes or my own smart ass comments.

I spent much of the day up in that tree talking with Blue Eyes. We left minutes before the sun started to set so we would have enough time to get back home before the light left us. We held a race through the branches to see who could get in sight of the Gates first, and I'm pretty sure he let me win. I had no doubt that he would have been able to beat a human in a race that took place in his natural element. I found it momentously sweet of him, but I said nothing about my suspicions. We were a little late for supper, but joined Ash and Lisa around a hearth after getting a plate of food.

_"How's your arm?"_ I signed to Ash after I noticed the wound on his arm. I was relieved that bullet only grazed him, and it explained Blue Eyes' lack of concern for his friend. But I was sure that Ash would have that scar on his arm for the rest of his life, though it wasn't as impressive or as intimidating as Blue Eyes' new pectoral additions. The rest of dinner continued smoothly, until Caesar passed by on his way back to Home Tree.

_"I want to speak to you."_ He gestured to Blue Eyes and I.The blue eyed prince and I exchanged a glance, but followed the large ape obediently.

He led us up the spiral staircase and all the while I was struggling to conceal how much I was internally freaking out. My thoughts were all on the kiss Blue Eyes and I had shared just a few hours ago, the memory was as fresh as it would be if it had happened just seconds ago. I could still feel his lips on mine and the secure clamp of his arms around my waist and the utter feeling of right was still tingling on my tongue. Had Caesar somehow found out? Had he seen into my memory, flipped through my thoughts like a rolodex and seen our transgressions? Was it even a transgression? If this was the case, and the noble king knew, how would he react? Would he make me leave? I fought to keep my breathing under control. I felt a feather light touch on my fingertips, and would have blamed it on the breeze had it not been for a second, lingering touch. I glanced down to see it had been Blue Eyes trying to obtain my attention.

I turned my head slightly and met his expressive, glacial gaze. He discreetly lifted his hands to sign, _"Calm down."_ before his eyes flitted to my mouth and back up to my eyes. That's when I realized I had been nibbling mercilessly on my bottom lip, as I did when I was lost in thought. I released my lip from its unjust punishment and instead tried not to make it obvious I was biting my tongue. I tapped Blue Eyes' fingers with mine one more time before we reached the top of the tree, and entered into Caesar's home.

He had us sit down and he faced us. _"I am taking apes into the city. To get a message across to the humans."_ Blue Eyes let out a gasp and my eyes widened. Caesar turned his green gaze onto me. _"That is why I wanted to speak with you."_

Then it clicked and I let out an understanding "Ohh." and nodded. "You don't want to go in blind." Caesar nodded and I took a deep breath.

"My advice is you get through the outskirts of the city quickly. It's not safe. Coyotes, bears, big animals scavenge around there a lot. The colony is near the heart of the city, look for the tower, you can't miss it. The front gates face the bridge, but there are sentries about a half mile before the gates." I gave up the information willingly. A part of me was a bit disappointed in myself, but it was swallowed by my loyalty to Caesar. I didn't think that he would harm anyone, and I felt no worry on that part. My worry was with the humans' reaction to the apes. I didn't know what to expect. And that scared me.

Caesar nodded slowly toward me after a moment of thinking. _"Thank you. You should both get some sleep. Especially you."_ He gestured to Blue Eyes. _"We leave in the morning."_

I nodded and inclined my head respectfully, getting up to leave. Blue Eyes rose with me and signed to his father that he would show me out. I silently made my way down the stairs, Blue Eyes right by my side. The village was turning in for the night, and many bonfires and hearths had been doused for the night, save for a few torches here and there. Many apes were in their respective homes and dwellings and it allowed Blue Eyes and I to slip through the vine curtain concealing my hollow without being seen. I hurried to light one of the fireplaces and then I lit my lamps.

Washed in the orange flickering glow of the fire, I turned to look at Blue Eyes. He heaved out a sigh and looked up to meet my gaze. A spell seemed to fall over me as I lost myself in those clear, sky colored eyes, and when I blinked I was a bit surprised to find our proximity had changed, and we were now standing much closer to each other. I felt the wonderfully warm touch of Blue Eyes' hands on my waist again, and I gladly let him pull me closer. Our lips met again and this time, I let myself enjoy it more, and thought less. This kiss was tender and sensual, whereas the first had been laced in the fire of underlying passion and had been exploding with feelings I couldn't yet explain. This kiss felt more experienced than the last as well, as if in the small amount of time that had passed between these two contacts, a years worth of experience had seeped into us.

My arms found their way around his neck, and Blue Eyes returned the gesture by coiling his long arms around my waist. When we parted for air, both of us simultaneously went back in for a few more small, feeling infused pecks. Our foreheads laid against one another softly, and I closed my eyes as I felt Blue Eyes tighten his grip on me. I could feel the muscles in his arms and chest flex as he hugged me to him, and let myself enjoy the feel. Our breathes mingled and clouded transparently together in front of our mouths. My lips were tingling and my senses seemed to be both working in overdrive and at the same time they seemed to be lusciously numb. Our bodies drifted apart slowly, but I still felt close to him. I drew in a shuddering breath to try to calm my sudden nerves. I smiled up at Blue Eyes through my lashes, and he returned the smile. His large hand cupped my cheek, and I leaned into his palm as his thumb caressed the ridge of my cheekbone. Blue Eyes let out a sad sigh, and I knew he would be making his leave soon. I tried to hide my disappointment.

After we detached ourselves from each other, I murmured, "Sleep well."

Blue Eyes stopped just in front of the hanging vines that had faithfully protected our privacy from prying eyes. _"Don't bother, you've made sure that I get no sleep tonight, thank you."_ He signed cheekily with a smirk.

I laughed and clapped a hand over my mouth when it came out louder than I intended. I dropped my hand and reached behind my back to hold my other arm as it hung by my side, averting my gaze for a moment to try and control my blush. The effort was futile, so I looked back to Blue Eyes.

"Goodnight, Blue Eyes." I said, a laugh still ringing in my words.

He smiled again, and all I could think of was how good he looked with a smile. _"Goodnight, Little Bird."_

I plopped down on my hammock and watched the vines where he had slipped through until they stopped swinging. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out quietly, my smile staying etched into my face as I fell back onto the comfortable furs on my hammock. I grabbed one of my many pillows and hugged it to my chest before pressing my face into it and giggling like a little school girl. I burrowed into my blankets and pillows and knew right away that Blue Eyes wouldn't be the only one loosing sleep tonight. The fact alone made me want to run the entire length of the forest. But I forced myself to remain still and if I couldn't sleep, I would at least grin up at the ceiling like a madwoman.

\----the next morning----

Early morning twilight was giving way to golden rays penetrating a dove colored cloud bank when I emerged from my hollow. Lisa beckoned me as soon as she saw me and I quickly made my way over to her. I nodded and smiled in greeting and she returned the gesture. In front of her were wooden bowls filled with white paint, save for a third with red paint inside.

_"Good morning."_ She signed.

_"Good morning."_ I returned.

_"Will you help me paint up some of the warriors? I heard that Caesar is taking them into the human city today. What's it like in the human city?"_ She added, signing quickly in her excitement.

_"Sure, I'll help you. And it's not too great over there."_ I added. I had helped paint the warriors before on their way to go hunting.

_"I think it's very brave of them. Don't you think it's brave?"_ Lisa signed to me, an almost dreamy look on her face.

_"Yes."_ I agreed with a little giggle.

_"I wonder what will happen?"_ She continued, barely paying attention to me as she gazed off into the distance. I let out another giggle.

_"What's funny?"_ She said, seeming to be snapped out of her daydreaming.

"You. Why are you so interested in this? Is it the city or the one of the warriors?" I asked, giving both my guesses.

She did a bad job of trying to cover up a gasp. She hesitated to answer, looking around like she expected to see everyone in the village to be poking their heads out of their homes to see what her answer would be. Lisa heaved out a sigh.

"How did you know?" She murmured.

"I didn't. I was guessing." I smirked. "So are you going to tell me who it is?" I asked.

"Who what is?" A voice caught our attention.

Lisa and I turned to see Ash and Blue Eyes walking up to us. I surprised myself when I didn't blush at the sight of the handsome chimp. He had his normal expression on his face, but when our eyes met I seen his features soften slightly, I smiled back at the cute little smile that stretched sheepishly on his face.

"None of. Your business." Lisa replied to her brother's question. _"Did you come to be painted?"_ She signed.

Ash nodded and made his way over, Blue Eyes following slowly as Ash plopped down in front of his older sister. Lisa wasted no more time in painting her familial canvas. When Blue Eyes sat down in front of me, I dipped my fingers into the white paint, and started drawing out the skull paint on his face. It wasn't the first time I had helped him prepare for a hunt by doing this, but now I was preparing him to go into unfamiliar territory. I was afraid of what he would think. I knew he wouldn't be seeing the inside of the colony, there was no way Caesar would bring his apes there, and an even lesser chance of the humans accepting apes into their midst. Not the way the apes did me. But Blue Eyes, and many other apes, would see the worst part of what is left of the human world. I thought of all the images painted on the walls of the abandoned outskirts, monsters with the heads and faces of apes. I recalled the ghost stories told to children to keep them from venturing too far out into the outskirts when the colony gates were open. I had been shocked and surprised when I had seen them with Dax on our way into the forest, months ago.

I had finished the skull paint and his arms and legs. Now I was drawing the rib markings on his chest, and I must say, in addition with the paint and the new scars, he looked pretty impressive. When I was done decorating his chest, I dipped a single finger into the red paint bowl, and dragged it down between his brows. I dipped my fingers into a water now land washed my hands out.

"There you go." I murmured.

He gave a small grunt and lifted his hand to sign, _"Thank you."_

_"Be safe, okay?"_ I couldn't help but sign as I looked down at my lap, my bottom lip trapped to be halfheartedly nibbled between my teeth. Blue Eyes hooked a finger under my chin only long enough to draw my gaze.

_"I'll be fine. I'll be back before you know it."_ He signed.

"I'm gonna hold you to that." I warned. He let out a small chuckle before he and Ash had to go to get their horses. Lisa and I, as well as the others who wouldn't be going with them, moved to the sides of the village. When the ones traveling on horse back rode through the courtyard, I spotted Blue Eyes right away, and was a bit surprised to see Alexander's satchel placed in front of him on his horse. A river of apes followed Caesar out of the village, and the rest of us stood vigil until the last ape was out of sight. Everyone slowly went about their days, hesitating to perform any tasks with an air of normality when so much dangerous uncertainty clouded our minds. No one knew what to expect. No one knew if every ape who had just walked out of those gates would be coming back home unharmed. I could only close my eyes and whisper a short Cherokee prayer in my head before Lisa pulled me off toward the horses.

I whistled for Zira, and Lisa along with a few other friends of ours brought out some of the younger horses to be washed in the stream near by. We normally gave the young ones of the herd their washes earlier in the day so they could warm themselves up afterward with play. The older horses were cleaned when the sun would be at its highest, so they could warm quicker from the cold mountain water. I was standing in the stream with numb ankles, and the feel brought on the memory of yesterday's watery events. I smiled at the thought, but it soon went away when I thought of the dangers and sights that boy would be facing in a few minutes. I sighed and continued to rub down Zira's star splattered coat.

\----two hours later----

Rain had started pouring down from the heavens just before the apes got home. Hoots and cried of joy and delight could be heard from the pasture as the apes welcomed home their friends and loved ones. I locked the latch on the gate as most of the horses trotted toward the cave that sheltered them from the elements, though some decided to ruin their freshly cleaned coats to play in the mud. We didn't pay much mind to that or the rain as Lisa and I rushed back to the courtyard, along with the others. We separated to find our friends, though Haze found me first. He took hold of my hand and rushed around looking for Blue Eyes with me in tow. I seen a familiar streak go by and watched Harley lope toward a male bonobo. When the male spotted him, he dropped his harpoon and the scowl that had been occupying his hand and facial expression and dropped to a knee. Harley hurled himself at the bonobo, who wrapped his arms around the child with a happy smile. I was surprised to see that the bonobo was Koba, the ape who openly despised me. I've always tried to stay out of his way for fear of his viciously menacing glares toward me, but now I found myself shocked to see the ape look so calm and happy with his arms wrapped around a small, delicate child, and even more shocked when that child lifted a hand to excitedly sign, _"Father home!"_

Koba was Harley's father.

The shock of it almost caused me to trip. But my attention was reverted back to Haze when he called out. "Brother! Big brother!" Haze looked up at me with proud excitement at the fact that he had said the words right. I beamed back at him before looking for the ape the child had called for. I spotted Ash first, then I seen Blue Eyes' taller form through the rain lift his head toward the sound of his familial beckon. When the blue eyed ape spotted his younger brother and I, he tapped Ash's shoulder and the two came foreword. Haze threw himself up Blue Eyes' body until he was in his older brother's arms.

_"What happened? What was it like? What did Father do? What did the humans do? Tell me everything!"_ Haze signed rapidly.

All of us laughed at his enthusiasm. Blue Eyes led us over to an out cropping to escape the crying clouds. He and Ash (enthusiastically on the latter's part) explained about how they had rode into the city. They described a sound I recognized and identified to them as the sirens, meant to warn of danger. They told us how Caesar had spoken out, proudly mentioning how shocked the humans had been at the king's booming voice. They informed us of how they had given the satchel back to a man who had walked forward at their arrival. Then they had turned and walked away, leaving the humans dumbfounded.

Haze and I shared a grinning glance and turned back to the boys. "Cool!" Both of us said at the same time.

_"Brother's brave!"_ Haze signed and threw his body at Blue Eyes for a hug. He took Blue Eyes by surprise and the prince was knocked to his back, but he quickly righted himself into a sitting position as Haze hugged his neck.

_"What about Ash? I was there too!"_ Ash mocked hurt.

Haze seen Ash's face, and hugged his cousin next. _"Ash brave too!"_ Haze panted happily.

I heard my name being called, and seen Aria beckoning me. I nodded at her and turned to my favorite boys. "I'll see you guys later. I'm glad you're home safe." I added before getting up and waving goodbye at Haze. He waved back as I turned away and joined Aria.

_"I'm going to start the apprentices lessons. You like to sit in on them, don't you?"_ She invited.

_"I'd love to. Thank you."_ I signed back with a smile.

I accompanied the head Oba back to the healing hut and joined some of the apprentices as they waited for their lecture to begin. So after it started, it was interrupted by a commotion outside. Curiosity got the best of everyone, and class was paused to go investigate. Deja apparently felt it was something I needed to see, because she grabbed my wrists and pulled my along the side of the village, offering no explanation. She brought me to stand on an overhang where we could see into the circle many of the apes were making. Caesar stood on his boulder that he used to address the colony, staring down into the center of the circle. A gasp tore it's way into my mouth as I spotted a figure that was most definitely human.

A human was in the village.

"No! No!" He shouted, looking back at where someone behind him had shouted about lies. I recognized the voice immediately. Malcolm was on his knees before Caesar. Malcolm was here. I felt the blood drain from my face and my stomach dropped to the ground. Apes everywhere were making a ruckus of alarmed and some angry hoots and grunts. Not a good sign. My head was swimming as I crouched down, not wanting the man to see me. I felt Deja's hand on the back of my neck, trying to offer comfort.

Caesar raised a hand and silence fell like death upon the apes I had come to know and see as family. "Show. Me." Caesar growled out.


	14. Chapter 14

"Show. Me."

Malcolm nodded and slowly rose to his feet, his eyes switching warily between Luca and Koba, who stood behind him. Koba's harpoon was poised above his head, the sharp steel tip threatening to sever Malcolm's spine with just a push in the right direction. Caesar jumped down from the rock, and moved past the human slowly, his eyes glaring into Malcolm's, and I worried when the man didn't avert his gaze. Apes swarmed around Malcolm, putting themselves between he and their king as Caesar led Malcolm out of the village. Deja and I followed behind at the back of the group, and I was worried when I felt the eyes of the apes on me. I would have given anything to know what they were thinking when their irises fell upon my human body.

Malcolm was moved foreword, and Caesar stayed close, watching him like a hawk through a piercing green scowl. No one was happy that this man was here, and I had to say, neither was I. We were brought in a familiar direction, and once the log jam came into view, I knew where he was going. Deja and I shared a confused glance. The dam? Malcolm traveled down the ladder beside the dam and I didn't dare to peek over the edge until half the apes had filed inside. When I got the courage to go inside the machine, I ducked my head down and moved foreword slowly as I listened to what Malcolm was saying.

"We had electricity for a little while. Two people were sent up here to fix it. They never came back, but they got the job done." Malcolm's voice seemed to waver, but he cleared his throat and his voice rang out, clear and strong. "But the power went out again after an earthquake a few weeks ago. Did you feel it? We tried to figure out if it was a malfunction on our side of the bridge, but there's nothing wrong with the equipment there. So the only solution is that something happened here. Now, if you'll just let us do our work here-"

He was interrupted by a certain bonobo. "You. Brought. Others." Familiarity rang in my brain at Koba's accusation. I heard a silencing grunt from Caesar, and after a few moments hesitation, Malcolm spoke up again.

"Just a few... Depending on the damage we only need a few days here. This is your place, I know that. But my home is suffering, this dam can help us live again. Please. I have a family to take care of, I just want to get this thing going so I can raise my son. If you don't believe my intentions are true...then you can kill me."

I gave a silent gasp as I heard the words I had spoken all those weeks ago. Silence befell the dam as we awaited the king's answer. Minutes ticked silently by before I heard the intake of breath as Caesar readied himself for speech.

"No. Guns. Humans, stay without. Weapons." Caesar growled, and I knew from his voice that his expression relayed his seriousness on the matter. I let out a relieved sigh that they wouldn't have a chance to hurt anyone else. I wouldn't have thought humans would hurt an ape for no good reason, but Ash's new scar reprimanded my ignorance.

Malcolm sighed in relief and I could here the gratitude ringing in his voice. "Thank you."

Caesar seemed to notice me, as he leaned to the side a little to meet my gaze. I held my breath when Malcolm followed the ape king's line of sight. Malcolm turned the rest of his body, the look on his face blank with shock. The apes parted like the Red Sea to see what the human was looking at. I glanced up from staring at the ground as Malcolm walked slowly closer. I lifted my head when I heard my name come quietly from his mouth.

"...Raina? Is that you..?" He sounded afraid of the answer. I glanced up as he approached, and took a step back slightly.

"Malcolm." I whispered, looking up again. His lips were parted with amazement and I let out a little cry of surprise when he scooped me up into a hug. I was lifted off my feet for a moment and when I was set back on the ground, Malcolm continued to squeeze me in his arms. His hand stroked the back of my head before he stepped back, keeping his finger tips on my shoulders as he examined me.

"Rain! I thought you were dead!" He hugged me to him tightly again. "I missed you so much." He whispered in a frighteningly broken voice. I pushed away with my hands on his chest, gazing up at him in astonishment at his words.

"You..missed me?" I couldn't keep the disbelief from my voice.

"Of course, you're my-" he stopped himself, and I quirked my head in curiosity. "You're like family to me." Malcolm then glanced around the room, then back to me. "Where's Dax?"

I froze. I didn't know what to do. Memories flowed over me. A gray beanie, shining brown eyes. My brother's laugh rang in my ears. Then darker images started flashing over Dax's smiling face. A figure haunched over in the pouring rain, sickly pale and glowing like a ghost in the dim light. My brother's sweat coated face as I dabbed a wet cloth over him, futilely trying to bring him back from his delirium. The emotions I felt the morning after I woke up, only to find that Dax wouldn't wake up with me, when I had found that my big brother would no longer be in my life, washed over me anew. I clenched my eyes closed and turned my face away, wrapping my arms around myself and wishing it was Dax holding me. Salty tears slipped down my face, betraying my pain. Traitorous bastards. I forced myself to take a deep, meant to be soothing breath, only to let out a little sob when Malcolm uttered my name, his voice strained with confusion as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I took a step back, out of his reach. My envy of his ignorance burned the perimeter of my core without quarter.

I shook my head, and forced myself to look up, tears still burning my odd colored eyes. "He didn't..." My voice failed me. "...he got sick."

Understanding flared in Malcolm's eyes, then bloomed into denial as he took a disbelieving step back. "No...no he's not..." Malcolm dropped to a knee, his head bowed as one hand covered his face. He was still as stone but I could see the pain shaking his skeleton. I took a step back, not knowing what to do. I had no idea he would react this way. He looked more hurt than he should have, but then Malcolm's earlier statement echoed in my head.

_"You're like family to me."_

I desperately needed a stronghold right now. As if hearing my thoughts, I felt two arms wrap around my shoulders. My mind immediately said Blue Eyes' name, but when I glanced to the side I seen it was Deja, her dark face screaming concern. She hooted softly to me, trying to offer me console. I hummed back and placed one of my hands over hers gratefully. The kind bonobo rested her chin on my shoulder and used her other hand to turn my skull in her direction, placing our foreheads together. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling much better now that I was aware that I was not on my own. After about a minute Deja tapped my cheek with her palm, asking me with her eyes if I was alright now.

I nodded as our heads parted. I took another deep breath to try to calm my nerves more. _"Thank you."_ I hoped my eyes conveyed how grateful I was as I tried to convey the same amount of sincerity with the sign. Deja nodded at me with a smile.

_"Of course."_ She signed back, giving me a comforting smile. With one more self-soothing sigh, I turned back to Malcolm just as he was wiping his eyes and standing up.

"Rain..." He seemed to be looking for words.

"Why are you here?" I muttered.

"The earthquake...You fixed the dam before, didn't you? That was you." Malcolm said, not seeming to be thinking correctly. I kept my eyes on the ground but nodded anyway. Malcolm's head turned away, and through my peripheral vision I seen he was looking to Caesar. I took another step away from Malcolm, glad he couldn't see the action. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but he had already touched me more than I was ready for right now. The last human to touch me had been Dax. I didn't know why it was affecting me like this. Malcolm would never hurt me, I knew that well, but the contact was just too much for my psyche right now. Every time Malcolm's skin touched me I felt like I was somehow betraying my brother. I just wanted Malcolm and whoever else to leave. I was surprised by this want but I wanted everything to go back to normal. I startled when I felt a pair of hands on me again, but I calmed down once I recognized Blue Eyes' sky infused orbs. He lifted his hands from my shoulders for a moment, but placed them back on me once he seen that I had calmed down. He started herding me out of the dam, and I was surprised to see apes moving out, Malcolm was no where to be seen.

_"Are you okay?"_ Blue Eyes signed, stopping us from moving.

I watched the last ape file outside before looked up into his eyes through a watery screen. "I don't know." I answered honestly.

Blue Eyes seemed to know just what I needed, and pulled me into his arms. I moved my face into the nape of his neck and let the tears spill as I clung to the handsome ape. I sniffed and a sob made my body jump slightly, and Blue Eyes shushed me and started rubbing my back. He allowed me to cry as he stood there, encasing me in his strong arms comfortingly. I sucked in a breath, trying to calm myself down, but I found it was unneeded, because Blue Eyes shushed me quietly once again before he laid his lips down on my neck, laying warm, slow pecks down onto my skin. It was doing amazing wonders to calm the storm raging in my chest, and I felt my heart rate slow it's galloping speeds as I leaned my head down on his soft shoulder. I sighed and lifted my head after what may have been two minutes of comfortable silence.

"Why do they have to be here?" I murmured sadly.

Blue Eyes heaved out a sigh and shrugged his broad shoulders. _"Let's go. Father will wonder where we are."_

I nodded. "Where did they all go? I wasn't paying attention."

" _To go_ _get_ _the_ _human's_ _team_." He signed, pulling me toward the stairs that led up out of the dam. The mention of the team brought on more thoughts. How many more were here? Where were they? I wanted to know why they couldn't just find some alternate power source and leave us alone. I was wary to meet these other humans, every time I had come in contact with most humans before, they had bullied me harshly, save for a few. I was reluctant to turn in the direction the others had headed in. But Blue Eyes coaxed me onto a horse, and surprised me by pulling himself up onto the horse's back behind me.

He reached forward and took the reins in one hand, and wrapped an arm around my waist with the other. The action left me dumbfounded and shocked for a few seconds before my nerves told my brain to wake the hell up, and I became completely aware of every muscle that moved and clenched in his body as his chest was pressed against my back. Blue Eyes nudged the horse into motion with his feet, and I was more than aware of my backside rubbing between his thighs as my body was moved by the horse's gait. _And just when I was getting over blushing!_ I grumbled in my head as I felt the warmth on my cheeks. Blue Eyes rested his chin on my shoulder and my mind blanked out again before I let myself relax. I allowed him to hold me as we trekked through the forest, the horse's hooves stamping down on a twig or kicking a pebble every now and then.

Too soon for my liking, we started spotting the dark form of apes in the branches, and Blue Eyes swung himself down off the horse, but not before laying another kiss to my neck. I took a deep breath, trying to purge the blissful fog away from my brain as I took the reins into my own hands. I watched Blue Eyes climb into the trees and move above me, keeping pace. I nudged the horse a little faster, and had to be a bit firmer, this horse didn't need as light a touch as Zira did. Blue Eyes upped his speed as well, and we kept glancing up and down at each other. We were running an unofficial race, I knew, but I was reluctant to race up to the apes and make a scene. But we continued our game until I was in a throng of apes. I slowed the horse down as I seen a man with a plastic crate in his hands walking foreword.

He lacked hair on his head but stubble shaded the side of his skull as well as his jaw. The man didn't seem to notice me as he walked past, seeming to be internally grumbling. I dismounted and walked foreword after an orangutan took the horse's reins for me, and I thanked him quietly. I walked along, looking a familiar face (preferably Blue Eyes) but while I was scanning the mass of furry bodies, something collided with my left shoulder, caused part of my body to jerk back a bit.

"Sorry-" I cut off when the boy I accidentally ran into stopped mid sentence with a slack jaw. I instantly recognized him, and I knew he recognized me too.

"...Rain?" He gasped. "Holy _shit_ "

"Hi, Alexander." I said quietly.

"You're alive?! Holy shit I thought you were dead!" He gasped.

I shook my head. "Well, I'm not."

"Where have you- you've been here this whole time?" Alexander's eyes were wide.

"Where else would I be?" I asked.

"I don't know. Not here." He still had the look of a fish.

"What's wrong with here?" I asked, getting a little defensive. This place was my home and I loved it, I didn't like the way he had said it like it was a bad place.

"Nothing, I didn't mean-...I'm just...really surprised to see you." Alexander's eyes then started to glance down me, taking in my appearance. I took a step back self consciously, uncomfortable.

"You look different." He commented. I glanced down at myself. I guessed I did.

"I know." I said. At that moment Malcolm walked up with another crate.

"Alex, you can catch up later. We need to get camp set up before dark." With that, he nudged his son away, but not before Alexander could turn and say, "See you later, Pocahontas."

I gazed after him for a moment before turning with a role of my eyes. He had always made up stupid nicknames just to get on my nerves. While in the middle of rolling my eyes, Blue Eyes found me. He gave a questioning gesture at my annoyed expression.

"Same old Alexander." I shook my head while throwing a forearm to the side slightly to indicate I had been talking about the boy who just left.

The next human to approach was a woman with blonde hair in a side braid. As soon as she saw me, she dropped what she had been carrying, and the toolbox hit the ground with a muted thud. She stared at me for a long time and blinked her eyes as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. I freaked out, but I was too timid to act on it as the woman took a step forward, arms raised toward me.

"Lana..?" The woman rasped in disbelief. I gasped at the sound of my mother's name. I shook my head at her, not daring to let my mind start running.

The woman took a closer look at me, and she finally seemed to notice my eyes. "No...it couldn't be." She stepped closer.

"You're Rain Harley, aren't you?" She said, still staring at my face.

My eyes widened. "H-how do you know my name?"

The woman smiled, lifting her hands over her mouth as she looked me over. "You look just like your mother!" She breathed.

The woman reached out and grabbed one of my hands in both of hers, shaking it in greeting. "I'm Ellie. You're mom talked about you and your brother all the time. I'm sorry I never got a chance to make introductions." She said.

I gaped at her. "You knew my mother?" Then I felt like an idiot. She had called me by her name.

The woman...Ellie, nodded. "She was a good friend of mine."

Ellie than gasped, as if a thought had occurred to her, the sound made both Blue Eyes and I jump. "What are you doing up here? All alone?"

"I'm not alone. I live here." I said, not a bit of timidness or regret rang in my words, only causal pride.

Ellie turned her head to the side a bit. "With the apes?" She asked for clarification.

I nodded. "Yes."

Her eyebrows went up a little. "Really?" She sounded fascinated by the fact, and I wasn't exactly sure how to feel about that. I didn't realize I had taken a step back until the back of my fingers brushed against Blue Eyes'.

"This whole time you've been living with apes?" She said.

I was getting annoyed. "Yes." I answered, letting her know with my eyes that I was growing annoyed with the circular conversation. She picked up on it right away, though Ellie's smile widened and she placed a hand over her mouth. Not what I was expecting.

"Your mother used to use that same look." She murmured nostalgically. It was getting harder to keep my mind away from my mother. I looked down and blinked away tears. I could feel Blue Eyes leaning closer, lifting an arm to lay a comforting hand on the back of my neck. He could see how much I was trying to hide.

"Um...could-could we not talk about my mom?" I asked, making eye contact in hopes Ellie would understand.

Ellie's face dropped. "Oh..oh of course. I'm sorry, that was really insensitive of me. I'm glad you're okay." With that, she bent to pick up her toolbox, but was interrupted by another voice.

"Who the hell is that?" The voice demanded. I turned to see the man who had passed by me before, along with two more men. All three pairs of eyes were locked on me, and I took another step back, the back of my hand now laying on the back of Blue Eyes'. The handsome ape lightly rubbed my hand with the back of his fingers, and I was grateful for the support. Blue Eyes then inched closer, and his hand clasped around mine. I glanced at the light hued ape when he squeezed my hand, and seen him glaring at the man who had spoken.

"Carver, this is Rain Harley." Ellie said carefully.

"Harley?" One of the men behind him said. "The Harley bloodline is dead." I flinched. Blue Eyes squeezed my hand again, and my fingers clenched around his.

"Kemp." A new voice snapped. It was Malcolm.

"Get moving. We still need to get the tents up." There was an underlying warning in his tone.

The first man, Carver, wasn't done here though. "Why's that girl here? How did she get here?"

"She was the first up here. She's the one who brought the lights back on before." Malcolm didn't look like he wanted to waste time explaining.

"Dreyfus sent _her?_ Why would he send a girl to a man's job?" He demanded, glaring at Malcolm.

"Maybe because she's good at what she does, you sexist prick." Alexander said as he was walking past, not stopping as he kept walking back down the path. I was surprised by Alexander's choice to defend me, but then again, I didn't know why. It's not like he was a stranger, I had known him and his father more than half my life. But the boy was naturally quiet, and for him to speak up like that was less than usual.

"What did he just say? You gonna let your kid get away with that?" Carver glowered at Malcolm.

"Yep. I agree with him. Now either get moving or you can sleep in the truck." Malcolm growled.

Carver was about to protest, but the other man thought better of it, and pulled Carver away. "Come on man, let's just go. Leave the kid alone." With that, they departed.

"Sorry about that, Rain. No one is particularly excited that he's here." Malcolm apologized.

"Then why is he here?" I asked.

"He worked for Water&Power, he knows how the dam works." Malcolm explained.

"If he has to be here, keep him under control, please. When are you going to the dam tomorrow?" I added.

"In the morning. Why?"

"Because I'm going to help." With that, I turned and pulled Blue Eyes away with me.

"Where are you going?" Malcolm called.

"I'm going home. It's getting late." I looked over my shoulder, but didn't stop walking. Blue Eyes and I let go of each other, but our hands continued to brush. Malcolm made no more sound, but I could feel his gaze on me as we walked, and I was glad when the thick brush and tree line spared us from sight.

_"You're going to help them?"_ Blue Eyes signed in the fading light.

_"If I help, they'll be gone sooner."_ I signed back.We found a few horses tethered to a tree as some of the apes were not done watching the humans. Blue Eyes gestured for me to get on the animal, and when I was seated comfortably the blue eyed chimp untied the reins and led the horse through the brush. I wondered what he was doing, but stayed silent as he led us through the forest. Soon, he stopped the horse and got on behind me again. I realized that the reason he had led us away was so the other apes wouldn't see him riding with me. We had a bit of a silent agreement to keep our newfound (and welcomed) intimacy from the others, as neither of us knew just how they would react.

I relaxed into his arms as he pulled me against his chest. Blue Eyes slowed the horse to a leisurely walk and laid his chin on my shoulder again. My head somehow found a way to lean my temple on his without me knowing about it until Blue Eyes nuzzled me back slightly. I sighed contentedly, and I felt Blue Eyes' fingertips work their way under the hem of my shirt. The pads of his fingers found the claw marks marring my skin, and he traced his fingers over the slashes. I tried not to giggle, but he felt my body tremble as I held in the laughter trying to escape me. I felt his lips stretch into a smile next to my neck, and I placed my hand over his large digits, trying to cease his ministrations on my scarred midriff.

"That tickles." I whispered.

"I know." He whispered back.

We fell into silence after that, our fingers laced. It was getting darker, the sun a flaming ball dipping beneath the cool shaded green of the treetops. Blue Eyes let out a sad sigh, and nudged the horse to a faster pace. I knew what was on his mind as soon as he started reaching his thumb away from our hands to caress one of my scar marks again. He was worried about predators, probably specifically cougars or bears. After a quick glance around I was relieved of his precautions, it was much darker now, but I could see the smoke of the bonfires roasting elk and venison in the sky, a few yards away. Blue Eyes decided to slide off the horse then, or risk being seen in such close proximity by one of the Gorilla Guards. I took up the reins and straightened my back as Blue Eyes once again took to the trees. I broke through the tree line first, and I heard Blue Eyes slide down a tree trunk.

"Hello. Blue Eyes, Rain." Luca greeted in his deep voice.

"Hi, Luca." I replied quietly, and I heard a grunt from Blue Eyes.

We continued inside, and I hopped off the horse. A gorilla took the reins from me, and I thanked her gratefully. She nodded back at me and I was relieved of the lack of hostility in the eyes that glanced at me; I had been afraid that the apes would react negatively to me now that they were aware of the other humans' presences. But I seen none of my feared expectations. Two Obas approached me, one was Deja, and the other was a dainty little chimpanzee named Sparrow. I greeted both with a smile, and Deja seemed happy about it.

_"Feeling better?"_ Deja signed. I took a deep breath.

"I think so."

_"Come eat with us."_ Sparrow invited, reaching her hand out to gently pull me toward a hearth. I complied, accompanying them to the table to load up on food before going back to the hearth they picked. I ate up, listening to the crunch of wood shattering and the clang of metal denting as the last of the guns the humans brought were destroyed. I was glad that the apes had listened to my request to leave my bow in tact, thinking back to my second encounter with the apes. I smiled at the memory of Dax's bullheaded stubbornness that day.

Sparrow nudged my knee, and I looked up at her. _"What are you thinking about?"_

_"My brother."_ I answered.

She gave an understanding hum and nodded. _"It's been a while. Have you gone to visit him lately?"_ She asked. A small, quick inhale sounded from her and she quickly added, _"If you don't mind me asking."_

I shook my head and placed a hand on her knee, letting know I didn't mind before I signed, _"I went a few days ago."_

The colony knew I often went into the forest alone to visit my brother's grave. I was aware of the times they had followed me, and I wasn't as upset about it as I would have originally guessed I would have been, I knew that I was human, and some apes would always mistrust me at least a little, due to some of their histories. I didn't blame them, I was the same. I thought about the way I had acted today, timid, nervous, and frowned. It was the same feeling of paranoia I used to get whenever I stepped outside my apartment door back in San Francisco. I had been badly mistreated by humans my whole life, save for a few friends here and there, but that roster was mostly cleared by the Simian Flu. I again felt an indignant rush go through me at the thought of the humans in the forest. I wanted them gone, they ignited memories and feelings I would rather leave behind, and I was surprised with the strength of my feeling. I would have thought that I would have been grateful seeing Malcolm and Alexander again, and I was, I realized now that I had missed them, but my want for them all to leave outweighed it. That made me feel bad.

I sighed and excused myself, bidding my friends farewell before heading toward the Obas healing hut. I picked up some herbs to induce sleep, not trusting my mind for a moment to let me sleep without it. I then slipped between the vine curtain that shielded me from the world. I slipped off my clothes and burrowed beneath the furs stacked on my hammock, preferring to sleep without them on some nights. I hugged one of my pillows to my chest, and purged my mind from anything related to the new intruders in my home. The first thing that fit that criteria was Blue Eyes, more specifically, the way he had held me in my time of need, and the feel of his mouth on my neck. I fell asleep with those thoughts in my head.

\----the next morning----

My pleasant dream floated away and dissipated as my sleep was disturbed by the shaking of my shoulder. I let out a little moan of protest, too tired to open my eyes. My arm was shaken again and I let out a louder moan, trying to get the message across to whoever was trying to disturb me that I was too tired for anything.

"Rain." A voice whispered my name. Goosebumps traveled up my body by the way the voice whispered my identity. I allowed my eyes to slit open slightly to see who was capable of taking my name and making a brand new sound out of it, and came face to face with Blue Eyes. I drew in a soothing breath as I blinked open my eyes a bit more, sitting up.

"Blue? What's going on?" I asked, rubbing sleep out of my eyes.

"We are..going to the. Humans soon. Time to wake up." He murmured. In my sleep fogged state, it took me a few moments to realize that Blue Eyes namesakes were not on my face, but below it. A tired glance down was all it took to remind me that I wore nothing but a bra and panties. I was too tired to blush, so I pointed to where one of my shirts lay over my backpack and asked my friend to hand it to me. Forgetting myself again in my fatigued stupor, I lifted my arms above my head and arched my back in a nice stretch. I dropped my arms and rolled my shoulders, trying to wake my muscles up.

I moved my hair out of my face and held it scrunched at the back of my head a moment before dropping my arm again. It wasn't until I glanced up again that I remembered Blue Eyes was here, standing beside a barely living fireplace, staring at me with one of my shirts hanging from his fingers. He snapped out of it when eye contact was established, moving forward a few steps before tossing me my shirt. I pulled it over my head and when I let it fall over my abdomen, Blue Eyes was beside my hammock. I leaned over and laid my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes as I attempted to say hello without speech or signing. Blue Eyes accepted the gesture with an arm around my back, but after a while gave me another shake.

"I'm awake." I murmured.

"You alright?" He asked.

I sat up straight and nodded, giving my head a shake to try and clear the fog. _"Sleeping herbs."_ I gestured, once again trying to blink into full consciousness. He grunted in understanding, but then he surprised me, and I was only awake enough to gasp when Blue Eyes wrapped his arms around me and pulled me out of my warm hammock and into his arms before placing me on my feet. I kept my hands on his chest and he made no move to remove his hands from my hips as I gazed down curiously at the ground. I heard Blue Eyes chuckle, and looked up at him from underneath sleep lidded lashes.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You're really. Cute when you're. Tired." He chuckled.

"Just when I'm tired, huh?" I joked with a smirk, the pleasure of his compliment was waking me up.

"No. You're cute when you're, awake too." He added with a smile. I smiled back up at him.

"Good morning." I said quietly.

"Morning, Little Bird." He murmured back, leaning his head down.

Our foreheads fell against each other, and my hands moved up to his shoulders as he held my hips softly. After a few quiet moments, I became aware of the rain pattering softly outside. When we parted, I gave his cheek a kiss before moving to get a pair of pants. After pulling them up I moved to get one of my jackets, but after a glance outside I second guessed myself.

"It's going to be cold out there, huh?" I murmured to myself before setting it down and grabbing my original hoodie and pulling up the hood. The jackets I made were still terrible at locking in heat.

I snapped my tool belt around my waist as I walked back to where Blue Eyes stood. I heaved out a tired sigh. "Let's go."

He followed me out of the vines and into the drizzling rain. Blue Eyes then led the way to where Zira was standing, with Lisa trying to calm the horse as the animal threw her head. Lisa gratefully handed me the reins with an exasperated huff. I moved to pat the horse's shoulders.

"Easy, Zira." I couldn't keep the groan completely out of my voice. "It's too early for this."

After a moment dedicated to calming the horse, I hopped up onto her back as a few apes, including Caesar, rode past. I rode on between Ash and Blue Eyes, working hard to keep up a conversation with the two as well as control Zira, who was being extra fussy today. She wanted to run. We reached the clearing Caesar had told the humans to camp in in a matter of minutes. Much to my annoyance. The humans were still asleep when we arrived, and the horses were tied to trees before the apes started lounging around, waiting patiently for the Homo-sapiens to awaken. I joined Maurice and Blue Eyes on a log, and took a glance into the open tent. Why would they leave the tent open during the night? I fought the urge to shake my head at their confusing stupidity. I seen Alexander asleep with a thick comic book open on his chest. Typical of him, I remembered. I settled in, taking the stone and tiny flint knife I had out of my jacket pocket, and started working on the totem stone I had started carving.

Soon, the boy stirred and I glanced up to see him sitting up, his eyes confused at our presence. I refused to make eye contact with him. I heard Maurice make his chuffs as he watched inside the tent, but still I refused to look up from my work. Moments later, I heard the hiss of comforters rubbing together softly as Malcolm and Ellie rose from their individual sleeping bags. After awkward greeting and a fast breakfast on the humans part, we were moving again. I rode beside a friend of mine to the log jam, signing back and forth with the orangutan. I hopped off Zira and hoped she would behave herself as I followed the humans into the dam.

"What are you doing?" One of the men that was with Carver the day before asked. Not Kemp, the other one.

"Helping." Was all I said, looking to Malcolm. He nodded and waved me over. I gazed around the room and seen a few chunks of concrete on the ground, and realized they must have fallen loose during the earthquake weeks ago. I seen nothing damaged enough to make the entire city's electrical network fail, so I suggested we checked the water turbines. We followed a pair of stairs down, deeper into the dam until we found a large porthole with a metal label on the wall. It was small, and when the men heaved the rusted hinges open, we found a few little trollies that had to be traveled on by laying on your belly and using your arms to pull yourself along. Malcolm went first, then me, then the other man who's name I was unaware of.

We reached a second porthole at the end that lacked a door, and we shined our flashlights inside the pitch black room. Malcolm crawled through first, the waved me in. Once inside I seen the cause of the city's power outage, a mass of tree roots clogged the turbines, and I had a hard time speculating on how it got there. I let out a disbelieving, "How did-?" but I trailed off when I realized that I had begun to speak it in Cherokee.

"How are we gonna clear this blockage?" One of the men shouted over the sound of the water trickling heavily through the cracks in the wood.

"We're gonna hafta blow it." Kemp said, and with that Malcolm urged us all out, and back up to where Alexander and Ellie waited in case something happened. Malcolm explained the situation while the three men prepped up blocks of C4. I was secretly relived when Malcolm banned me from going back down there to set it off, and I waited at the top of the ladder with Ellie and Alexander as the men went back in. We sat in silence, Ellie shining a flashlight down onto the little platform the men would be coming out of. It took a few minutes for Alexander to break the silence with talk.

"I didn't know you had a daughter." He said, and for a moment I was confused before I realized he was talking to Ellie.

The blond woman turned her head to look at the boy, hesitating before she nodded her head slightly. "Yeah."

Alexander was quiet for a moment, thinking about something before he spoke up again. "What was her name?"

Ellie hesitated to answer, and as her silence drew out I thought she wouldn't answer before a small smile stretched her lips as she murmured the name, "Sarah."

Alexander's gloves hissed slightly as he moved his hands over each other for a second. "I'm really sorry."

"I still have you and your dad." She said quietly. I gazed at the woman and words I had heard Malcolm say almost a year ago came back to me. He and my mom had been talking about my mother's job. They were talking about someone named Ellie, and I remember Malcolm asking, "My cousin or the lab-tech?" My mother had answered, and now I knew who Ellie really was. She was Malcolm's cousin.

Alexander nodded and looked down for a moment, before nodding and whispering, "Yeah."

All of a sudden, the world shook and a great, muted _BOOM!_ filled my ears before tremors started up, shaking up a decade's worth in dust and I could hear the sound of rocks and concrete colliding. The three of us jumped up.

"Malcolm!" Ellie and I shouted.

"Dad?!" Alexander cried as Ellie shined the flashlight down, but the only good it really did was to illuminate the cloud of dust around us in a white beam. I could hear screaming coming from inside the caved in porthole and we jumped up as the tremors lessened, and Ellie, Alexander and then I hurried carefully down the ladder leading to the platform.

"Malcolm!"

"Dad!"

"Can you hear us?!" We all called and cried. No one answered, but we could hear the men inside continue to yell. A deep creaking noise sounded above us, and Alexander and I moved to the foot of the ladder to gaze up to see who was approaching. I seen two chimps and the familiar head of Luca peer down at us.

_"They're trapped!"_ I signed up.

Luca huffed in understanding and wasted no more time in sliding down the ladder. We moved aside as he and the two chimps I recognized vaguely started removing the heavy rubble. They plopped the useless obstacles into the water below us as they removed the rocks. Soon they broke through, and moved aside the last concrete slab aside as Ellie shined a flashlight inside the hole. Alexander and I stayed aside as they reached in and pulled the first man out. Carver. His leg had a bloody gash on the shin, and he groaned loudly as he hobbled out. When all the men were out, we moved carefully to get them up to the surface, slowly navigating them through the logjam to sit on a discarded log on the pebbly river bank. Ellie and I went right to treating their injuries, with the help of their first aid kit and Alexander.

Carver could be heard groaning in pain as Ellie and Alexander placed a disinfectant soaked bandage to his bad leg, and I worked silently as the third man, who I now knew was called Foster. He was soon good to go and I started helping Malcolm, who insisted that everyone else be treated before him. He wasn't hurt too bad, just filthy, but he did have a bad cut on his arm. I bandaged it quickly and efficiently before Ellie called me over, Carver being a pain in the ass to treat.

I heard a familiar _'imp, imp'_ sound and turned to see Haze was present. A smile stretched my lips as the child climbed Ellie's back, curious about the woman's different colored hair. Ellie was smiling at the baby, watching him explore her. Haze soon crawled down her arm and into Alexander's lap, looking around at everything. Then he spotted me and let out a happy squeak, and l caught him with a happy laugh as he jumped at me.

_"Rain!"_ He signed happily, as if he hadn't seen me in a year.

_"Haze!"_ I signed back enthusiastically.

_"Are the new apes going to stay with us now?"_ He signed.

I raised a brow and smiled at the adorably ignorant child. _"No."_ I signed.

_"Why are they here? What was the big noise?"_ He asked.

_"To fix something. They'll leave soon."_ I signed back.

Haze's face dropped and he looked like he was about to cry. _"Rain not go too, right?"_

I 'awed' before signing back. _"Rain stay."_

Haze squealed happily and hugged me before giving my cheek a kiss. He then restarted his exploration, and I was aware of Blue Eyes watching his little brother vigilantly from a few feet away, though a paid no mind as I kept my gaze on Haze. The child was leaning over Alexander's knees to peek into Alexander's shoe, pulling the leather tongue back to inspect it. Ellie laughed at the child's antics before presenting her finger, like one would a human baby. Haze held it in both hands and looked at her hand curiously, as if he expected a prize to be stowed away there.

"Hey, buddy." Alexander said quietly. Alexander jumped slightly when Haze turned rather quickly, but calmed down when Haze scooted himself off the tall boys knees and to the ground. Haze went back to inspecting Alexander's shoes while the three of us, watched amusedly.

"What are you doin?" We looked up at Carver's voice. "You finished?"

I immediately grew annoyed, he just had to ruin the moment didn't he? _He's just jealous Haze isn't interested in him_ , I thought irritatedly. "What are you lookin at?" Carver asked Alexander.

Alexander just huffed out a laugh and shook his head. He and Ellie shared a moment of smiling eye contact before going back to cleaning up their supplies. But I kept my gaze on Carver as he looked over at Haze, mistrust blooming in my stomach as his eyes fell upon the young child. Haze found his way into an opened toolbox, and as soon as I seen Carver jump up, instinct took over.

"Hey, hey!" Carver started to move toward the baby, but I was quicker, shoving my elbow into the man's gut and half standing, half crouching with an arm out, protectively trying to shield Haze.

"Back off!" I hissed.

Carver gasped in a breath and slapped me hard enough to send my body rolling to the side as Carver continued toward Haze. Blue Eyes let out a shriek, and advanced as Carver swiped a rag out from under the poor baby. Blue Eyes shoved him down, and Haze quickly skittered out of the box and to me. He hid his face in my chest and I wrapped a protective arm around him, moving my body toward the direction Caesar was in. Kemp moved forward but before he could do anything Blue Eyes had shoved him effortlessly with an arm down onto Carver. Foster moved forward next but all Blue Eyes needed to do was scream in his face and the man instantly backed down. Carver was up again and grabbed something from the toolbox. "Hey!" Carver yelled. "I'll kill you!"

"Blue Eyes!" I screamed as I recognized a gun in Carver's hands. He clicked the safety off and pointed it at Blue Eyes.

Blue Eyes paused, and let out a hiss, baring his fangs at the man. Before I knew what was happening next, Caesar was there with the gun in his hands, Carver on the floor. Caesar held the gun over his head, ready to use it as a club to hit Carver with, when Malcolm intervened.

"Don't! Don't, Caesar, no!" He yelled.

Carver's hands were held up over his face, and he looked ready to wet himself.

I could hear Caesar's angry huffing as he panted, his head turned to look at the weapon in his hands. "Said. No. Guns." The king pointed it at Malcolm, and my stomach dropped. I may have wanted him to leave but I didn't want him dead. Caesar pointed the barrel at Ellie and Alexander for a few seconds, and they recoiled a few steps, then the barrel was pointing at Kemp, who backed up against a log and held up his hands. Foster staggered back as well when he found himself looking into the business end of the gun. Caesar then turned back to Malcolm, lowering the gun as he started to control his breathing, and tossed the gun into the river.

"I didn't know." Malcolm shook his head.

Caesar started walking forward, and Haze peeked out from over my arm and scrambled toward his father. Caesar scooped him up with an arm and cradled him in his hands.

"Human. Leave. _Now!_ " He yelled in Malcolm's face as he passed. My heart skipped a beat, fearing that that included me too, but I was distracted when Haze started struggling in Caesar's grip, and when he dropped to the ground he ran toward me on all fours. Haze hugged me and started moaning miserably, as if he wanted to cry, and I hugged him back, looking up at Caesar to await his decision. Caesar waved me up, and I positioned myself into a crouch, one knee on the ground as I held Haze to my chest. I wasn't sure what to do, so I reached up a supplicating palm. Caesar swiped it and then grabbed my forearm, pulling me up to my feet. He nodded at me as he continued on toward the horses. I followed, eager to leave.

I had a limp as I walked, one of the stones on the ground had cut into my shin, and was stinging harshly. I could feel Blue Eyes' presence behind me as I made my way toward Zira. I hoisted myself up, being extra careful of Haze in my arms. The baby refused to leave my arms, so I tucked him in comfortably before I glanced back at the river bank. My eyes met Malcolm's instantly, and I tried to figure out what the emotion in his irises was. I looked away, nudging Zira in the direction of home. Rocket and Blue Eyes rode closely next to me, so close that our shins brushed every now and again.

The apes were hooting and shouting, angered by the events. I blocked all of it out, focusing on calming Haze's fussing. I shushed him gently and rocked him a little, humming out a soothing little tune. He seemed to like the way my chest vibrated when I hummed, and pressed the side of his face into my breasts. Caesar set a quick pace, and one hand I held Haze securely to my chest while the other directed Zira as she finally got to let off some steam. I had to work hard to keep her from passing up everyone else. When we entered the village, an Oba messenger was leaping down onto Caesar's boulder, shrieking and pointing up into the branches of Home Tree.

I dismounted, and tried to hand Haze to Blue Eyes so the family could enter their home, but the child made such a fuss Caesar just gestured for me so follow them up. I grew worried, if an Oba was freaking out about something in the penthouse of the tree, something had to be wrong with Cornelia. As we rushed up the stairs, I felt Haze cling tightly to me. When we turned the corner into Caesar's personal home, three Obas surrounded Cornelia, who lay in her bed with a pained expression. A maskless Aria started hooting worriedly when she seen Caesar.

Caesar approached his wife, taking her hand and moving toward her head. I could hear the queen's breathing from where I stood, and I noticed her face looked paler than it should have. Worry dripped into my belly as I settled beside the wall as Blue Eyes moved behind his mother's head. I was grateful that Haze was refusing to take his face out of my chest, I didn't think it would serve him too well to see his mother in such a condition. But at a second glance, I realized the tiny prince was asleep, the excitement must have sapped the normally playful chimp's energy. I stayed silent as the king and eldest prince stroked Cornelia's fur and face, trying to calm her, though her raspy breathing got no better. All of a sudden there was a commotion outside, growing closer and closer. Then I heard a voice.

"Please, please I just need to speak to him."

I sighed and shook my head, Malcolm shouldn't have come here. As soon as Malcolm rounded the corner, his eyes found Caesar's back. "I'm sorry." He said. "It was all my fault but I will make him leave." _Well it's about damn time,_ I thought. _You should never have brought that asshole here._ I was upset about the scare he gave Haze.

"This. My home." Caesar snapped, not turning around. "You should not be here." I seen Ellie round the corner next, though she kept her silence. Neither of them had noticed me yet.

"I understand-"

"Malcolm." Ellie quietly interrupted when she caught sight of Cornelia. I watched Malcolm finally take notice of the ailing female.

"She's sick." He said.Blue Eyes was watching them with a guarded gaze, his hand on his mother's shoulder.

"How long has she been this way?" Ellie asked in her quiet voice.

Caesar turned then, a questioning glare on his face. I tried not to notice the pink around the great king's irises. Ellie placed her hand lightly on her chest.

"I have medicine. Antibiotics." The woman began.

"Maybe she could help." Malcolm offered.

Caesar turned his piercing green gaze on Malcolm. "Do. Not. Trust you." He looked away, glaring at the moss beside his wife's head.

"I don't blame you." Malcolm murmured sincerely. "But believe me, we are not all like him."

"Please." Ellie said. "Let us help you."

Caesar gazed down at Cornelia, thinking hard on the matter. Caesar turned back around and looked at Ellie. The woman moved forward slowly, taking her time to move toward the sick queen, in case anyone changed their mind and decided to lash out. She shouldered off her backpack as Caesar watched her carefully. Ellie quietly unzipped the backpack and started shuffling through it.

"One day." Caesar murmured. Ellie looked up at the king, confused. "You stay. One day."

_"Father, no."_ Blue Eyes raised a hand to sign.

"We might need a little more time-" Malcolm started gently.

" _One day!_ " Caesar shouted, glaring at Malcolm. "Ape will help." He growled, calmer but with a coarse voice. I could see the pain he was trying to conceal. I watched Blue Eyes' expression as he watched his father.

_"I won't help."_ He signed slowly, a slight glare in his aqua eyes. Caesar didn't reply, but held eye contact with his eldest son. I made eye contact with the nearest Oba, and silently asked her to hold young Haze. She took the child gently, though even in his sleep his tiny fists clasped my jacket tightly, and I had to work carefully to get him to let go without rousing the child. I approached the bedside slowly, giving a small noise to get the king's attention. He took a moment to look away from the glaring contest with Blue Eyes, but swiped my palm when I extended it, glancing pointedly at Cornelia.

I moved beside Ellie, and she looked up at me. I made eye contact and she knew what I wanted to do. Quietly, the two of us discussed what it could be that was ailing my queen. I was deathly afraid it was pneumonia, but it was soon ruled out. When we figured out what it most likely was, I was happy to find she had a medicinal syrup that was likely to help quickly. We discussed how much to give her quietly before agreeing on the correct amount of milliliters. An Oba asked what it was, not trusting it as he glared down at the capful of syrup. I translated his signing for Ellie, and she told the Oba it's name and explained what it would do, telling him how it would fight the sickness. He still seemed reluctant to let his queen ingest it, and his uneasiness was starting to affect the others.

"It won't hurt her. Look." I poured a small amount into the cap of the bottle and downed it. I pulled a face. "It doesn't taste the best, but it won't do her harm."

Seeming sated by my evidence, he moved his hand away from shielding her face. "We need to sit her up. She might choke if we don't." Ellie murmured.

I moved toward her head, and tried to gently rouse her. The queen reached up and touched my face when her watery eyes opened. She tried to say my name, but coughing took over. I winced and many of us put hands on her body to offer comfort as I lightly shushed her.

"We need you to sit up, Cornelia." I whispered, placing my hands under her shoulders but not lifting. She nodded slightly, and tried to lift herself, but her arms were trembling. Before she could fall, Caesar took her up into his arms and I scooted closer, presenting the little cup to her.

"Please drink. It'll make you better again." I murmured soothingly to her. Her trembling hand went up to grasp it, but everyone could see she didn't have the strength to hold it herself, so I held it up while she guided it to her lips. She downed it, and her face scrunched up at the taste.

"Yeah, I know." I murmured sympathetically. "I still taste it too." Caesar set her down slowly, and she fell back asleep as soon as her head was laid down. I sat back on my shins, watching the queen's face.

"She should be feeling better soon." I murmured to no one in particular.

"Hey." Ellie placed her hand on my knee, and I looked down at it before making eye contact.

"You did well. Your mom would be proud." Ellie gave me a smile. My lips parted and I stared at her face, stunned by her kind words. I looked down and quietly thanked her, but I backed away, her hand slipping off of me. Ellie cleaned up her stuff and placed it back in her backpack, and I retreated to my original place beside the door. Fifteen minutes later I found myself standing beside Luca as a few of the apes watched as Foster and Malcolm threw out Carver, struggling the entire time.

"This is bullshit!" He shouted as Foster herded him roughly down the path to the old fire road where their trucks were parked. Malcolm turned and walked forward a few paces to look up at Caesar from his horse after Carver and Foster disappeared around the bend.

"Okay?" Malcolm said.

Caesar nodded gruffly, and turned his horse around, apes following. I stuck close to Luca, and he offered comfort and small talk the whole walk to the dam. I was still agitated by the earlier events, as well as the humans' presence in the forest in general. I liked Malcolm and Alexander, and I'm warming up to Ellie, but the others... Every time I looked at them all I could see was the faces of those who had tried to hurt me. It forced me to think about my past life in the once famous city, about the abuse I suffered. Kids my age never seemed to like me much, and I often felt like Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer when I was excluded from any games. It didn't get better as I got older, and so I took to avoiding the crowds in the streets by taking to higher grounds.

I had always loved to climb, ever since I could remember I had played in the trees around my Washington home. I hadn't been able to do much of that after my mother brought Dax and I to California, but I rediscovered the fun of it when I started moving from rooftop to rooftop. I took it slowly, but my confidence built up quickly, and soon I had no trouble getting around. But not always without being seen. People then started bullying me more, saying that what I was doing was unnatural, as well as a danger to myself and the people on the ground. They said I was pretending to be something I'm not, but I wasn't _pretending_ to be anything, I was just being me. But apparently that wasn't enough, it never was. But here, in the forest with the apes, I wasn't judged or bullied. I lived happily among these intelligent primates and it felt right to think of this place as home. I had many friends and was always meeting and making new ones. I could also embrace my heritage better now, and I wished that my mother and dear grandfather could see me now, happy and unbruised by malicious hands.

My grandfather had been a kind old man, with caramel wrinkly skin and shining brown eyes. His hair was long and white, and he used to tell my brother and I the best stories when we were little. He and my mother were close, and he was a big part of my early life. He had often encouraged us all to speak in Cherokee when we were together, and he was always teaching us new words, seeing as he had been a fluent speaker. I missed him desperately, I missed the laugh that always ringed like a mellifluous bell in his voice, and i missed the way he call me Rainbow before hugging me. I sighed and followed everyone into the dam, pushing away the memories. I was working on a damaged panel near Foster, when Alexander passed by.

"Yo, Alex, this relay's busted. See if there's another one." He said, and tossed it up to him. Alexander made his way over to the tool lockers to begin his search. I paid no mind as I went back to re-establishing wire connections. But a minute afterword, I heard a growled out grunt and then I heard Alexander's exclamation. "Aye!" I turned to see him on the ground, Koba growling at him as he approached. I stood up but made no move, Malcolm was already in front of his son.

"No! No! No!" He was holding his hand up, trying to get Koba to stay back, but the gesture fell on deaf ears. Koba kept moving foreword until the large, close to growling form of Maurice loomed over Koba, in front of the father and son.

"Where Caesar?" Koba asked. "Want Caesar. _CAESAAAR!_ " he screamed.

Maurice growled at Koba, giving him a look. Koba turned away, and I followed the scarred bonobo's gaze to find Caesar standing in a doorway. Caesar approached slowly, and Koba started speaking. "Humans. Attack your sons. You. Let. Them. Stay?!" I grew uneasy, and clenched my fists tightly around the metal railing in front of me as I watched the encounter. Koba was challenging Caesar. "Put apes. In danger. Caesar love humans, more than apes." Koba kept approaching Caesar, getting closer and closer to the king. "More than. Your sons." My heart skipped a beat.

Koba was treading thin ice, and I was surprised he hadn't fallen in yet. Caesar's face contorted in rage, and I seen his eyes go to Blue Eyes, who had followed Koba inside. Blue Eyes' expression was guarded but his confusion and worry was slipping through his façade, a rare occurrence. When Caesar turned his angered green eyes back onto the bonobo, he sucked in a breath, and let out a scream, lunging at Koba. They toppled and rolled across the platform, the apes hooting and barking in confusion.

Koba was on top, arms raised before bearing down on Caesar over and over with his fists before Caesar rolled on top of the bonobo. It was now his turn to rain down his fists, and a fleshy muted thump rang out when the king struck an especially angry blow onto Koba's scarred face. Then Caesar's fists were clenched around Koba's throat, strangling him as he slammed the older bonobo's head down on the metal railed floor, Koba's hands gripping desperately at Caesar's wrists. Caesar growled out his anger loudly, and I could hear the choked gasps coming from Koba, all the while. Caesar finally stopped ramming Koba's head down, but I could see his arms flex as he squeezed the bonobo's windpipe harder, letting out another rage filled scream. A hiss left the king, baring sharp canines threateningly before he seemed to come to his senses.

Caesar panted heavily, and his fangs poked out from between his up pulled lips as the king gained control over his animal instincts that I could see were fighting with his mind to gain control over his body. But Caesar's intellect won and he loosened his grip on the defeated bonobo's neck, and lifted his hands away. Caesar's shoulder heaved as he panted.

"Ape." His voice was deepened and hoarse. "Not. Kill. Ape."

Slowly the king stood up, and moved off of the beaten ape. A part of me reached out to Koba sympathetically, I knew exactly what it felt like to be beaten, bloody and bruised on the ground. But the smarter half knew that he deserved what he got, it wouldn't have been okay for Koba to get away with saying something like that, challenging a good leader in front of his people. I wonder how I would have reacted, if someone had the nerve and audacity to accuse me of loving anyone more than my child (if I had any), and I knew that I would never have allowed that.

Koba's head turned toward a few of the apes who had watched, and seen them turn their heads away. The bonobo then looked for solace in his two closest friends, Stone and Grey, but they too, looked away. Koba pulled himself to his feet, his head bowed. He reached up a supplicating palm toward Caesar.

"Forgive me." Koba rasped.

Caesar straightened his back, and his eyes scanned the room. When his green orbs fell back to the bonobo's hand, Caesar's hand hovered over Koba's, as if he was considering whether or not he really forgave him. I doubted he did. But all the same, Caesar laid his hand over Koba's palm, and as soon as their skin made contact, Koba turned and exited the dam. We all stared after him, and I could practically see the humiliation and held in anger radiating off his pelt. The rest of the day was awkward, everyone silently going about their duties and only speaking when necessary. I distanced myself even more from the humans, and stuck close to Maurice for the rest of our time in the dam.

When dinner rolled around, I stayed with Deja and Brent, but I left early when Aria asked me to check on Cornelia (Much to my surprise). Deja and Brent accompanied me with food for the queen, and we moved up into the Home Tree penthouse. I was glad to see Cornelia was feeling alright enough to sit up. Brent hooted softly to get her attention, and the three of us held our palms out for permission to enter. The queen gave a small smile and lifted her palm toward us, giving her consent from afar. We enter slowly, our heads inclined to show our respect to the gentle queen.

"How are you feeling?" I asked softly.

The queen gave a soft grunt, lifting a hand to sign, _"Better."_  

I nodded approvingly and reached my hand up a bit, conveying with my eyes that I wanted to check her temperature. She gave her consent and when I felt her forehead I was relieved to feel that she wasn't as warm as before, and her skin had gained back a healthy color.

"Have you. Eaten yet?" The soft voice of Deja sounded beside me.

The queen shook her head. _"I wanted to go get it on my own."_ She signed with a sigh.

Deja and I exchanged a glance, and when we looked back up at the beautiful chimpanzee I knew that she was aware that she was not yet well enough to leave her bed.

_"You should save up your strength, Cornelia."_ Brent signed gently. _"We brought you some food."_ He presented the wooden plate to the queen, and she took it with a grateful nod. We left her to eat, and I turned in to my hollow, bidding Deja and Brent goodnight.

I took a moment to watch as the female bonobo and her chimp companion walked back down into the courtyard in close proximity. I smiled as I watched the romance blooming between the two, and I found myself anticipating the day they finally faced their feelings and confessed to each other. I shed my pants and shirt, choosing to sleep in panties and my hoodie. I laid down in my hammock, and I started humming and singing a Cherokee lullaby softly. I slipped out of the present, and when I fell asleep, I found myself as a young girl again, playing with my brother and grandfather while my mom sat a few yards away, writing a song with her acoustic guitar.

***A/N: I know that Ellie isn't Malcolm's cousin in the movie, but please just roll with it. There's a reason for it and it'll make sense later on.***


	15. Chapter 15

\---the next morning----

 

I was walking with Maurice to the human's camp. When we turned around the bend of a moss coated redwood trunk, I was surprised to see Alexander waiting on the porch step of the tent. He stood up when he saw us, but didn't move. Maurice paused, then ambled down the roots of the great tree with me following slowly. Alexander pulled out a thick book from behind his jacket, where he had been shielding it from the pattering rain as we approached, the boy's eyes were mostly on the orangutan, only glancing at me a few times. Maurice stopped a few feet away, letting Alexander close the distance a little as he eyed the book in the boy's hands. Alexander held it out to Maurice, and after only a moments hesitation, the older ape took it from the boy's hands.

 

"For yesterday." Alexander said, pointing to the thick comic book. Maurice looked back up from where he had been examining the book's cover, and glanced back down at it before pulling it to his chest under his chin, shielding it from the rain before looking up at the tall boy. Maurice glanced at me, and then sat down with the gift. The orangutan nodded to me, telling me to take a seat beside him as Alexander had. I had seen the book before, it was Alexander's favorite, and he had re-read it many times. I thought it was kind of him to give the knowledge loving ape his book.

 

Maurice opened the book, and Alexander started teaching him the difference between reading regular books and reading comic books while I sat quietly and watched. Maurice was following along attentively, and Alexander explained a few human terms to him, though a few times I had to help with signing. Alexander was pleasantly surprised to find that Maurice was following along and knew how to read the words, and the wise old ape soaked up everything like a sponge. Though halfway through, silence fell upon us while we waited for the rest of the humans to rouse, and I took to carving my tiny totem again while the two males read the comic.

 

"Rain?" I heard Alexander say my name. I looked up at his grey eyes.

 

"Are you happy?" He asked. "Here?" I blinked at the sudden question. I looked away from him, and to the forest around me, I looked up at the looming redwoods and pines, and seen some of apes up in the branches, lounging lazily. I thought back to all my memories here, and smiled. I thought of Blue Eyes, and of Haze and Harley, and Deja and Lisa and Ash, and all of my friends in the village.

 

When I turned back to Alexander, I said with all the sincerity that I could muster without tearing up, "Yeah. Yeah I am. I'm really happy here."

 

Alexander gave a one sided smile, though it was genuine. "Good." He nodded. "It's about time."

 

My face dropped, and before I could ask what he meant, he was already answering. "Don't even ask, Rain. We both know you were never really happy in San Francisco, at least not while you away from Dax and Lana. You _look_ happy, even though you've been so jumpy, but I know that's probably because of the others." He said.

 

I interrupted him for a moment. "I haven't been jumpy."

 

"Yes, you have. This whole time you've been jumpy, except when you were playing with that baby. How is that little guy, by the way?" He added. I realized he must have been talking about Haze.

 

"He's fine. But can you really blame me for being cautious? I have too many bad memories of other people." I added.

 

Alexander nodded and considered my words. "So it's safe to assume that you're not coming back with us?"

 

My eyes widened. The thought had never crossed my mind, and now that it had I felt my heart start beating in fear, a wild bird trying to escape its boney cage bars. "No." I had an almost offended air to my words, as if he had offered me marijuana or some other narcotic.

 

I shook my head. "I can't go back there, Alexander. I won't. I can't live my life in fear. And that's all I would ever be if I was back in that place. Afraid. It's nothing against you or Malcolm, you two have been friends of my family for years, but I refuse to be bullied and beaten for the rest of my life." I was surprised by how strongly I stated my feelings on the matter, without even being able to consider my emotions before I had opened my mouth.

 

Alexander searched my face. "I wasn't going to ask you to. It's gonna stun Dad, though. He's been pretty torn up since...everything that happened after you left."

I realized then he meant the death of my mother. I worked up the nerve to ask a question that had been on my mind for a long time. Something I wasn't sure that Drake would have withheld or not when he came to inform me of my mother's passing. "Her baby didn't survive then?"

 

My voice, which had been declaring my opinion of returning to the city so strongly before, was weak and feeble now that I was speaking about a baby I've never even laid eyes on yet I still loved dearly nevertheless. Alexander didn't answer right away, and I didn't take my eyes off a moss fluffed rock that held residency near my foot.

 

"No." Alexander finally answered. My eyes started burning as I heard the truth, the truth that I had always known but had been too afraid to say, even in my head. But now that someone else had said it, my subconscious finally let the thought flow through my mind coherently. Two twin tears slid silently down my cheeks and dripped from my chin and onto the ground. I refused to move, afraid that if I did, I would breakdown. Maurice seemed to pick up on my raging emotions, because he surprised me by drawing me under his large arm, and hugging me to his side. I looked up at the older ape, and seem sympathy shining in his bright green eyes.

 

He nodded and cooed at me, I tried not to let my lip tremble as I gave in and hugged the orangutan's large body. He wrapped me up in a grandfatherly embrace and cooed comfortingly to me as I sobbed silently. The tears soon stopped but I refused to open my eyes, too afraid to face the world again. I stopped hugging Maurice but I didn't leave his embrace as I leaned forward and bowed my head, my fingers laced in the dark chocolate locks on my head. I sucked in a trembling breath to try to calm myself, and after my exhale I heard a thump and a thud a few feet away. I lifted my head to see Blue Eyes and Ash approaching, worry, concern and even confused anger swimming in their eyes.

Ash moved next to me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder while Blue Eyes crouched in front of me, aqua eyes scanning my face. Ash hooted his confusion, but didn't sign.

 

" _What's wrong_?" Blue Eyes signed, casting a glance toward Maurice, who still had a long, furry arm wrapped around my shoulders.

 

" _Miss my family_." I signed back, trying to control my trembling pout. Blue Eyes looked on with sympathetic eyes and gave my jaw a few light taps with his knuckles in an attempt to tell me to cheer up.

 

  
_"I know it's sad that they're gone, but you have us now_." Ash suddenly signed.

I stared at him with surprised parted lips, but they soon stretched into a grateful smile. " _Thank you.That means a lot_." I signed.

 

" _We're your family now. You can lean on us, you know_?" Ash signed, and I felt a little surprised to see this side of Ash, who was normally very humorous and playful, but it seems Blue Eyes' serious moments had rubbed off on the grey chimp, and he was showing sincere compassion instead of smiling reassurances like I would have expected from him.

 

" _Ash is right_ " Blue Eyes grunted softly. " _You don't have to deal with things on your own. I'm here for you. We all are_." He added.

I stared at the pair, wide eyed. They knew? I had ways tried to work out my problems on my own, but the thought never occurred to me that I _didn't_ have to rely on only my own problem solving abilities. Rarely had I ever gone to Dax or my mother with my adolescent difficulties. Now that the concept of receiving the aid of others had been stated (and offered), I was left dumbfounded with my own confused stupidity. I blinked, as I thought about what he had said, and the humorous part of me called Blue Eyes a hypocrite. Much of the time he hid his emotions and thoughts behind a mask, though I usually didn't try to get him to lift it up for me, respecting his privacy. It wasn't that I thought they were trying to disrespect my privacy, I actually felt a cool wave of strange relief wash over me, like my subconscious had always known that fact.

 

" _Thank you_." I smiled at him, and then wrapped my arms loosely around myself to sign, " _Hug_?"

 

Before I could comprehend Blue Eyes' next expression, I felt something push me slightly, landing me on my knees. I turned back to see it had been Maurice, nudging me to the blue eyed chimp. When I met his leafy green gaze, I found mirth swimming in his all-seeing irises. My eyes were snapped toward Ash when he signed with a little vocalization, " _Group hug_!"

 

The grey chimp dove foreword, mashing the two of us into Blue Eyes' chest, knocking him down. We all pushed up and got into a sitting position but before I could pull away, Ash locked us all together with his arms. There was a moment of awkwardness, but soon we were all looking at each other's faces, and bubbly laughter was floating out of our mouths. This time, Blue Eyes was the one to strengthen the hug, pulling both Ash and I to his scarred chest as we laughed our happiness into the air. We ended up falling over again, Blue Eyes on his back while Ash and I hugged his chest. Very soon we sat up again, freeing each other from our arms, though we were still laughing slightly. I couldn't wipe the smile from my face.

 

"What are you three doing?" An amused voice broke the moment, and I seen Malcolm standing next to Alexander and Maurice, who were watching the encounter with smiling faces.

 

"Hugging." I said, my happiness still ringing through my voice.

 

"I can see that." He commented, his eyes smiling.

 

"Malcolm." We all turned at a new voice. I seen Kemp, frozen in place as he looked on at what he had interrupted. But he turned his eyes back toward Malcolm. "We're ready to go."

 

Malcolm nodded. "Good."

 

With that, we all made our way to the dam. My eyes couldn't help but land on the spot where the fight between Caesar and Koba had taken place. Cold claws pattered down my spine at the thought of the ferocity I had witnessed from the gentle king. But it had to be done. To let Koba get away with that would have meant that the things Koba had dared to say were true. I purged the thoughts away and tucked into fixing one of the panels, Ash watching and asking millions of questions. He soon switched to Alexander, pestering the boy with everything under the sun in his gruff voice. I smirked at the flustered expression Alexander was trying to keep hidden. I felt a hand on my shoulder after I finished screwing the metal panel over back onto the side of the control board. When I turned I was met with the bright blue eyes of the eldest prince.

 

" _Come with me_." He signed.

 

I stood up and followed him at his side. _"Where?"_  


 

" _Out_." Was all he gave me to fill me in. My mind kept getting a tickle of Deja-vu at the action, reminding me of the time he took me to the riverside to show Ash and him the way

my bow worked. I was surprised when he backed me up from going down the hallway that lead to the front door, and following me into a nook in the pipes. He turned his face down and away as we were pushed together, and I heard the sound of apes approaching. We both held our breathes as they passed, our dark hair helping to conceal us in the dim lighting in the dam. To say I was confused was an understatement, why were we hiding from apes? I went to question Blue Eyes after they passed, but he shushed me with a finger to his lips and he waved me forward as he crept out of the hallway.

 

We made our way to the light of the metal door, hanging open slightly. Blue Eyes sniffed around the edge before peeking through. When he stated the coast clear, he took my fingers in his gently and we crouched down, creeping through the logjam the long way before I whistled softly, drawing Zira out of the small group of horses bunched together ground tied at Blue Eyes' signal. The ape then creeped forward and took hold of a second horse's reins, and together we led them silently into the forest. Once out of sight, we pulled ourselves up onto the steeds.

 

" _What are we doing_?" I signed to Blue Eyes.

 

" _Just wait_." He signed, giving me one of those small smiles of his.

 

I let the prince lead me through the forest, and after around twenty minutes, I realized where we were going. We had to dismount to lead the horses up the foothill and over the ridge to our little valley. Zira made sure to be a pain the entire way, fussing over each hoof step. I finally coaxed her over the ridge while Blue Eyes waited and watched with his more obedient horse in the shadow of the ridge.

 

Once I got her down into the valley, she started getting antsy and even harder to control, her eyes on all the grass in the area. I sighed and let her go, muttering in Cherokee about what a pain in the ass the horse could be. Blue Eyes released his horse as well, but kept his sky eyes on me. After I couldn't stand not fidgeting under his gaze, I finally turned to him and asked, "What?"

 

" _What does that mean_?" He asked. I gave a small puff of laughter, and translated the words for him. He started chuckling after he heard what the string of sounds meant, and his amused face made my smile grow.

 

As we walked through the valley, Blue Eyes would sign a word, or multiple words, and I would translate them into Cherokee for him, it was a lot of fun. We traveled to the oak tree we had resided in the last time we had come here, and sat against its great trunk. Our word game continued for some time, a few times I coaxed him through the pronunciation of a few simple words. I taught him how to say his name, as well as Haze's and my names in Cherokee, though it was a slow process. I didn't mind it one bit though, secretly I found myself very happy that he had an interest in my language, and I felt a delighted waved rush through me every time he asked a question, how to tell plurals, things like that. At the end of it all, he couldn't _speak_ it verbally, but he could pick out and identify words really well.

 

My thoughts seemed to stop in their tracks when my oddball eyes locked with Blue Eyes', shocking my mind with their icy colored warmth. His face was lifted by a small smile that made his eyes wrinkle in just the right way to catch in the sun. I watched his facade chink a little, letting out a happy, contented look seep through. Blue Eyes' namesakes flitted over my face before our two unique hues collided again, and I couldn't resist the urge to bite my lip any longer, and caved in to the habit. Blue Eyes's gaze flew down and back up my face, and our proximity was suddenly very decreased. The breath seemed to disappear from my lungs completely.

 

I could feel his breath on my mouth as Blue Eyes murmured huskily, "Do you have any idea. What you do to me. When you bite your lip?"

 

Before I could reply, or even take a breath, Blue Eyes crashed his lips onto mine. I inhaled a gasp through my nose, before I melted into him. My hands instantly found his hard chest, and his arms found their increasingly frequent place around my waist. Our contrasting lips moved together in sync, sending an electrically thrilling bolt to run through me at the lovely foreign sensation. I felt the cool grass on my back as Blue Eyes lowered us down, lips never leaving mine as he carefully lowered some of his weight onto me. Our chests pressed together. I wove my hands through his soft hair as they moved to coil around his neck. I felt one of Blue Eyes' hands move down over my side and back up, lifting the hem of my doeskin dress to explore. My heart pounded in excitement and my lungs froze in nervous suspense as Blue Eyes' hand crawled slowly up over the waistband of my panties and up to splay his large fingers over my flat stomach.

 

He caressed the skin there, tracing the endpoints of my scars as he continued to kiss me. His fingers traveled up, spending some time feeling the skin stretched tautly over my ribs. Then up some more. I drew in a little gasp, followed by a tiny moan as I felt that big warm hand cup one of my breasts. Blue Eyes responded to the sound with a growl and a squeeze to my breast, which pulled out another moan from me. His mouth left mine before he started trailing little kisses down my jaw to my neck as his hand worked its way into my bra cup. I clung to him as he sent new sensations and feelings I had never felt before surging through me, and each little touch and squeeze was driving me to insanity. My chest moved up and down quickly as my breath rate elevated due to the ministrations Blue Eyes' lips were working on my neck. I moved my head to the side to give him more room before my body surprised me by arching my back, pushing my chest up into Blue Eyes' palm. Another possessive growl rumbled through Blue Eyes' chest, sending wonderful shivers of pleasure through me. I gasped and panted slightly as Blue Eyes started sucking down on my skin, nipping gently at it with his ivory canines. The attention sent another appreciative groan out of me, and I felt my cheeks warm up at the sound.

 

But apparently not everyone was enjoying our actions as much as I was, and I was surprised to see a dark, velvety snout in my face when I cracked my eyes open. The snout snorted, and I heard Zira's hoof paw at the ground just feet from our heads. The sounds caused Blue Eyes to look up, and his brow arched in confusion until he followed the long face upward and found the rest of the horse. His hand left my chest so his forearms could prop themselves up on either side of my head. Blue Eyes huffed with annoyance at the mare while I pushed her cheek away, trying to nudge her into leaving. I was a bit miffed at the horse for interrupting, but I didn't dwell on it long, for the beautiful mare snorted at Blue Eyes again before moving away, her tail flicking irritatedly. I looked up at the ape above me, and when our gazes met, laughter bubbled up out of our previously connected lips.

 

Blue Eyes rolled off of me, and onto his side. I turned over to face him, and both of us wiggled a bit closer to each other. Our arms tangled together as he drew me into his arms, placing our foreheads together affectionately. I closed my eyes and placed my hands on either side of his face, caressing his cheek with a thumb. I could feel his fingers playing with my hair, sending pleasant tingles through my scalp. When I opened my eyes again, his hand was trailing down my arm, and I lifted my forearm to meet his fingertips in the middle. I contentedly watched as we played with each other's fingers lazily. After about four stretched out minutes, Blue Eyes pulled me closer to him, rolling onto his back and wrapping me up in his strong arms. I rested my head on his scarred chest and snuggled into his side comfortably. We both sucked in a deep sigh of content in unison, our bodies rising and falling in stereo. I closed my eyes and felt safe.

 

\----hours later----

 

When I awoke, it was to hot, feather-light little touches all over my face. I sighed at the nice feeling, and became aware of the warmth wreathed around me. I tried to move closer, but I was already pressed against it, and there was no more room to fill. I felt a light touch trail over my upper arm in slow, lazy circles. I lifted my lids from my odd hazel eyes to peer tiredly up at whoever had induced such sweet consciousness. I had to lift my face slightly to peek up at the face above mine, and found the clearest crystalline eyes I had ever seen. I blinked, and recognized the rest of the face as Blue Eyes, gazing down at me with that little smile that I adored. _What a nice way to wake up_ , I thought.

 

"Hi." I whispered. He grunted softly back, then glanced pointedly at the sky. My gaze followed his and my mouth dropped slightly when I noticed how low the sun had gotten.

 

"How long did we sleep?" I muttered.

 

"Should get back." He whispered softly, getting to his feet. Blue Eyes extended a hand down to me, and I took it and let the strong prince tug me to my feet. A smile stretched my lips when I felt our fingers interlock, and squeezed his hand. My gaze searched the grasslands around me for Zira and her companion. My oddball eyes soon spotted them a few yards away behind us, and I whistled for Zira. Her sudden departure caused the other dark coated horse to follow the plucky mare as she trotted to me. One ear was pulled back while the other perked up forward as she nuzzled at the top of my head. I giggled and gave her a pat, before Blue Eyes swept me up and placed me on her withers, catching me completely by surprise.

 

I tried to playfully swat at him but the ape dodged and pulled himself up onto the horse, laughing. I laughed with him as we nudged the horses into motion, our hands finding each other again, almost supernaturally. Getting the horses out of the valley was by far much easier to get them out, for we found a small path that had been blocked from view by a boulder on the outside of the ridge. We carefully picked our way down the foothill until we got to the forest line. The sunset blazed down through the titanic canopy above us, illuminating shafts of sunlight and little flying things in hot orange light. Fireflies blinked about in the shadow swathed bushes as night took over, and Blue Eyes and I were back in the village before the fiery disk had fully dipped below the horizon, hands parted.

 

I hopped off Zira and led her to the pasture, Blue Eyes following suit. After locking the gate, I turned and was surprised to see Lisa close behind me. I let out a little yelp of shock, but placed a hand on my chest to calm my racing heart and let out a little giggle at my fright. Lisa found it funny as well, because after a breathy giggle she signed, " _Sorry, Rain_."

 

I gave a smile. " _It's fine_." I signed back.

 

" _You should have seen your face_." She giggled again, and I saw a little bit of Ash peek out of her.

 

I smirked and tried to stifle my own giggle. _"Yeah, real funny."_  


 

"Yep." She agreed.

 

With that, we moved on to dinner. I nibbled on the roasted venison on my plate as butterflies erupted in my stomach at the feel of Blue Eyes' knee under mine as we sat cross legged closely beside each other. _Seriously_? I thought to myself. _NOW you decide be nervous? After all that_? I fought the urge to shake my head at myself, I confused myself. The communal supper was soon over and again, I felt myself sneaking through the village with Blue Eyes, though this time it was much less conspicuous. I found myself in between two structures so close together that Blue Eyes and I were rendered pressed together chest to chest. We backed away into the shadows, away from prying eyes. As soon as eye contact was established, our mouths were suddenly dancing together and my eyes were closed and my hands were on his shoulders and his hands were clinging to my hips for dear life.

 

My heart went from calmly beating to quick, excited palpitations in a matter of seconds as each and every touch and caress left trails of fire to seep into my skin. I welcomed every drop of the hot sensations Blue Eyes sent through me as my body came alive for him. My stomach turned into a butterfly's wings, flapping desperately to escape the cage that was my body as the blood roared in my ears, though at the same time I heard nothing but the beating of my heart. I resisted the urge to whimper at all the wonderfully charged sensations running through me, and tried to remember what else lips were good for. My mind drew a blank when Blue Eyes' hands trailed down and under the hem of my dress to feel the skin on my hips. Much too soon, the burning in my lungs reminded me what oxygen was, and I was forced to pull away to bring in the element that soothed the collapsing feeling in my chest. Blue Eyes and I stood there, sticking to each other, and panting quietly as our heads rested against each other.

 

When I came to my senses, I became aware of the silence that had befallen the torch-lit village, and for a moment I was worried they had discovered our hiding place. But when I looked out, I was shocked to see the humans being escorted through the village by Caesar, Rocket and Maurice. Blue Eyes and I exchanged a confused glance before he nudged me outward, a silent agreement forming between us. I would go out first, and then Blue Eyes would follow afterward. I peeked to see if anyone was looking our way, but everyone was watching the humans pick their way slowly up the steps to the cliff that Home Tree sat on. I made my way out, following along the sides of the village, my confusion radiating off me. Did I look as contrasting as they did here? I pushed the question away and followed as Caesar kindly helped Ellie up the steps and joined them as Caesar pointed to the distance.

 

"The. Lights." He said.

 

I silently joined Alexander's side and looked to where the king had indicated. Far off in the distance, my jaw dropped slightly to see shining dots in the distance. San Francisco. I could see the tower from here, where most of the people lived outlined against an illuminated atmosphere surrounding the once great city. I wasn't sure if it was too far or not far enough for my liking. I wonder how many times I've walked past this spot and looked in that direction, looking right through the walls that had trapped me with malicious and hurt beings. I wasn't sure how I felt, but I felt something cold sloshing around in my tummy at the thought of maybe if we could see their artificial lights, maybe they could see our natural illumination. But the thought was quickly swept aside, the trees towered over the view, hoisted by hills of land to help the old titans conceal us.

 

I heard a familiar little cry and looked up to see Cornelia standing on the stairs, looking out at the unnatural glowing coming from the broken city. I glanced to the side to search out Blue Eyes, and I needn't searched long, and once eye contact was established, I pointed upward towards his mother with a smile. Blue Eyes froze, his glacial gaze settling on his once ill mother. He passed slowly though quickly, like a shadow behind us, grazing his fingers across my shoulder blades as he passed. Caesar noticed his wife as well, and walked up to reach her. I was distracted from the family when Alexander poked my arm. I turned to look at the taller boy as he gazed down at me.

 

"Where were you today?" He whispered quietly.

 

"Out." Was all the answer I was willing to give him.

 

I glanced up again to see Caesar leading Cornelia by the hand toward a higher vantage point, so she could see the shining lights better. I looked away to give them their privacy as Blue Eyes approached, and looked back to San Francisco's lights. A sad sigh escaped me, though I wasn't sure what it was for.

 

"Homesick?" Alexander whispered, noticing the little sound come from me.

 

I gave him a look. "God, no. Not of that place. This is my home." I whispered firmly.

 

"Was it really so bad in the city?" He murmured softly.

 

I glanced up at him, afraid I'd hurt his feelings. "Don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't-..don't, value our friendship it's just...I have a lot more bad memories in that place than good. I was trapped there, those walls were my cage. Please try to understand." I tried to amend any emotional afflictions I may have caused the boy.

 

Before he could answer, a thunderous bang sounded, roaring across the hills. Instinctively I crouched down, silence falling over the whole village like a corpse in repose. I felt a hand on my shoulder and flinched away at the touch, but with a glance back I seen it was Malcolm, trying to bundle me, Ellie and Alexander into a protective embrace. I ignored them, looking upward where the epicenter had sounded. My heart pounded as I held my breath. Blue Eyes was up there. The sound of the gunshot was still echoing over the land, and as quickly as silence had ensued, the air was filled with hoots of confusion and fear. A moment later, I heard something crashing above my head and I turned my head just in time to see a dark figure fall through the foliage and down onto the forest floor below the village. I heard Cornelia hooting frantically above me, shortly followed by Blue Eyes' barking screams. That could only of meant one thing.

 

Caesar had just been shot.

 

The air was filled with screams as I sucked in a trembling gasp of horror, covering my mouth with both hands as it gapped open. A dismayed whine tore it's way out of my throat as I instinctively tried to move forward, but was held back by Alexander. I stood up with the other humans and inched closer to Maurice, who drew me under his arm as we all stood and watched Blue Eyes rushing onto his father's rock, holding up a slender metal object. I gasped when I recognized a gun in the prince's hand. He held it up for all to see, and I could hear his hooting as he struggled to control his emotions enough for speech.

 

"Human, gun!" He cried out hoarsely.

 

  
_What the fuck_? I wasn't allowed time to dwell on the gorgeous eyed ape's pained words for another ape distracted me. Maurice gave my arm a reassuring squeeze as he turned to the humans beside me. He made eye contact with me and in a deep, baritone voice I had never gotten the chance to hear before say one singular word.

 

"Run."

 

Malcolm didn't need anymore instruction, for he had already herded Ellie, Alexander and I foreword, Kemp and Foster following as Maurice led the way. The smell of smoke reached my nose and I looked ahead and cried out despairingly at the sight of the burning wall. I stopped in my tracks and gazed up in horror as the flames licked at wall, engulfing it in destructive heat. _No, please no! This can't be happening!_ I thought. I wasn't given time to think anymore, Malcolm had already shoved me back into motion, and I struggled to follow Maurice through the burning structure through my tears. I was distracted by another voice shouting out to the panicked masses.

 

"Humans, kill Caesar!" Koba's voice yelled. "Burn ape home!"

 

Angered barks and hoots pierced the air, and I risked a glance back. In that one glance, I seen Koba standing tall on Caesar's rock, and behind him I noticed a form on the ground. I instantly recognized Blue Eyes, on his hands and knees, head bowed in sorrow. My heart ached, and I longed to go to him, but before I could even consider it, I was again yanked away. Malcolm held my hand tight as he pulled me along after him. I could still hear Koba shouting and yelling, even over the roar of the fire as we dashed into the forest, no longer following the wise orangutan.

 

"Maurice!" I cried as I looked back again, my free hand reaching out to him as the russet furred ape signed urgently after us.

 

_"Go, don't stop!"_

 

I whimpered as I turned away and focused on moving my legs. We tore through the forest, and barreled down the steep hills. I could still hear the cacophony from the village from here, but was distracted when Ellie tripped and rolled down the hill.

 

"Ellie!" Malcolm, Alexander and I stumbled as we tried to help the woman to her feet. I glanced up, and knew that the apes were coming this way from the way the noise had grown. I looked around, and seen a long since fallen tree, it's roots upturned to the air, presenting itself to the sky. We didn't have time to run, and I pointed toward it, subconsciously already taking a few steps toward the shelter.

 

"In here!" I pointed it to their attention. We scrambled under the arching roots, hidden in shadow but still pressing our backs to the hard packed soil and drawing out knees as far as they would go to our chests. I hid myself in Malcolm's chest and hugged him, crying silently as the apes I thought of as family roared past us, unaware that we were right under their noses. Pain resonated through me each time my heart beat. It had all happened too much, too soon, too fast. I refused to register the fact that Caesar was dead, that my home was on fire. I shoved my face into Malcolm's ribs to try to muffle the sobs that I had no control over hiccuped out of me, and I felt Ellie wrapping her arms around me and shoving her face into my back.

 

Apes screamed as they went, their steps thundering and kicking dirt and debris over our shelter. My whole world shook and threatened to crack, how had everything escalated so horribly wrong? Who the fuck shot Caesar? Another bought of sobs shook my small body. The one who saved me, saved my brother and gave us shelter, gave us food and medicine and kindness, was gone? The one who personally held a funeral and burial for my strong big brother, the one who had lowered the man's body into the earth, was now dead himself? The one who was responsible for giving me a chance at a happy life, he who made my survival possible, no longer breathed? The thought was completely alien and unwanted.

 

These thoughts swirled and plagued my mind, long after the noise of the apes had stopped. I was offered some comfort though, when rain started to mist down in light, pale drops, like they had been shredded by the titanous trees' needles above us. At least now my home would stand a chance against the roaring flames. Worry swept over me, and faces I had come to love flashed through my mind. Blue Eyes, Cornelia, Haze, Ash, Lisa, Deja, Brent, Aria and so many more flashed before my mind's eye. Would I ever see any of them again? My heart suffered a pang of grief at the thought of never interacting with these beautiful souls ever again, and my body shook with another test filled tremor.

Exhaustion overcame me, and slumber came not as a slow, numb sensation, but as a tidal wave, and as soon as it crashed down on me I blacked out.

 

***Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm going through a really hard time right now. I promise I'll do my best to keep up with the updates, please try to work with me, okay? Thanks***


	16. Chapter 16

I jolted awake to the sound of a gun blasting into the air. But unlike the first time the same nightmare had haunted me, there was no echo, no evidence that a firearm had spat lead into the air in any other place then my dreamscape. My eyes were filled with familiar but unknown sights and for a frantic moment I gave in to the primal fear panic within, but before I got the chance to jump up and run to who knows where, I was held back by a pair of arms. I looked up, heart and lungs palpitating at the sound of my name in a voice that was dreadfully human. The face looking down at me had a straight nose, ocean blue irises, and dark sandy stubble covered his jaw, while the same curly locks sat atop his head. I struggled to recognize this man, until a name appeared in my mind.

"Malcolm." I breathed, and threw myself at him, hugging him to try and control the tears that were threatening to spill.

Memories of the previous day came flooding back much too quickly to be real. It was too painful to be real. I felt Malcolm wrap his arms around me, shushing me and rocking me quietly like a child. He kept whispering sweet nothings in my ears, but all they did was stir the churning emotions raging in my psyche. How could he sit here and tell me it was going to be okay? Caesar was gone. I couldn't even begin to imagine what Blue Eyes must have been feeling. I wanted nothing more than hug him and help him through this time of anguish, but I had no way of doing that. I had no clue if he had been among the shrieking apes that had stampeded past us last night, and honestly I was afraid to know. I wasn't given long to sink into my thoughts, Malcolm brought the confusing mental ramblings to a halt.

"Rain, we have to go. We can't stay here." He whispered.

I sobbed and sniffed, trying to get a hold of myself enough to nod and stand. When I finally accomplished the feat, I allowed Malcolm to pull me out from under the fallen titan's roots, and faced Alexander and Ellie, who waited patiently outside. Malcolm handed me to Alexander and he drew me under an arm, and I let him comfort me as I wiped my cheeks of seawater. Alexander did his best to comfort me as we moved through the forest, I followed along despondently like a kite's tail, flapping along in the winds.

For much of the journey, we had to slide down the rain slicked hills, finding footholds in roots. Alexander made a point to help me most of the way, as he had noticed the silent tears that continuously fell from my cheeks. Only when I swatted him away did he give me space, but I was fully aware of his watchful grey gaze on me. My body was swathed in shadow, but dirt covered my legs and arms, as well as my face. I huffed in annoyance at this whole situation. I wanted to blame Malcolm. I wanted to blame the humans. If they hadn't come here, this forest would never of known the deadly baritone blast of gunfire. But the rational part of my mind knew I was being unfair. The reason they arrived here was because of the damage caused by the earthquake all those days ago. There was no one to blame as of yet.

"We must be getting close." Malcolm said from the front as he looked back to check us over. The man continued down the hill, while Ellie, and Alexander stuck to the shadows of the hill as they worked out ways to get down, I following.

"I think I see it, it's down here!" Malcolm called.

I almost ran into Alexander's back when the two came to an abrupt stop. Alexander's breathing grew labored, and he called for Malcolm. Confused, I stepped to the side and foreword, to see what had Ellie's attention. I immediately froze when I seen what the two older humans had seen. I moved foreword, dropping to my knees with a cry of pain and despair. I hung my head and held my face as I no longer tried to control the tears. My shoulders trembled in agony as I sobbed. There, lying in a damp heap on his broad back, was Caesar. His paled face stared up at the sky, blank. On his shoulder was a bloody red splotch, his stillness fractured my skull. I shook my head in denial at the proof of what I had been fearing all throughout my most recent conscious hours. Caesar, the kind, noble king I had so much respect and admiration for, was dead.

"Oh my god..." I heard Ellie whisper. "Malcolm!" She cried out.

I paid no heed, too lost in my fresh soul rendering despair. I felt hands on me. But they were human. The human touch I had been foreboding the whole duration of the homo-sapiens visit was an unwelcome comfort, and only offered reminiscence of all the terrible situations I had been unfortunate enough to experience. I wished for ape hands to be comforting me, I wished for Blue Eyes. But these hands were human, they were Ellie's and then they were Alexander's. I trembled as I sobbed. How could my whole world go from absolutely wonderful to so terribly wrong?

"Rain! Look at him." I heard Alexander say.

"Rain, he's alive!" I froze at Ellie's words.

My neck protested painfully when I turned my head to look at her, and she pointed with her eyes toward the ape before me. My head snapped toward him, and my eyes were met with leafy green irises. My eyes widened and I scooted forward as I gazed down at my king, and now I could see the faint rise and fall in his chest as he breathed. I gasped and my hands hovered over him, afraid to touch him. Caesar was alive.

"Caesar! You're alive!" I covered my wide, grateful smile with both hands as I sat back on my haunches, staring down at the ape king. It was then that Malcolm made an appearance, and I heard his moss muted footsteps stop abruptly when he caught sight of the ape. I heard him mutter the same words Ellie had when she first seen the king. My shoulders trembled with new tears, tears shining with happiness. I dropped my hands and reached out to lightly groom his forearm as Malcolm and Ellie prepared to move the ape king. Alexander pulled me back, away from the three to give them space. At Malcolm's order, Alexander and I rushed to the truck that could be seen from between the trees to prepare the back of the vehicle for the king.

I hopped in and started lining the blankets and towels inside up in a way so that Caesar could comfortably sit up while Ellie and I worked to stop the bleeding. Now I just had to wait for the adults to bring Caesar. The ape looked frailer and older than he was, his fur wet and matted in places from spending the night on the forest floor. I watched from inside the truck as Malcolm and Ellie and Alexander struggled to carry Caesar over. Ellie joined me inside as they maneuvered the strong chimpanzee into the banged up truck. I helped Caesar fix his position comfortably before handing Ellie a cloth to place over the bullet wound in the king's shoulder. The whole time, Caesar watched me. I watched his face as he prepared for speech.

"My...son. My...family. Where?"

My lips parted as I tried to come up with an answer. What was I supposed to tell him? The last thing I had seen in the village was flames and Koba screaming his head off on Caesar's boulder. The king was stressed out enough already, but I wasn't going to lie to him. I would never lie to Caesar, not after everything he had done for me. I shook my head sadly.

"I don't know. I'm sorry." I murmured miserably.

The king's eyes dulled slightly with disappointment. He turned his head away and stared at the bottom of the truck, the face that was so much like Blue Eyes' molded into a thinking expression.

"Try not to speak. You need to rest." Ellie advised gently before grabbing Caesar's hand and placing it on his own chest, over the cloth that was slowly staining with red.

"Hold." She murmured to Caesar, and when she drew her hand away his large hand stayed where it had been placed. Ellie hopped out of the truck and turned to Malcolm and Alexander. I carefully moved over Caesar's legs to sit on the edge of the trunk so I could listen in on the humans' conversation.

"He's lost a lot of blood." Ellie said.

"Is he gonna make it?" Alexander asked.

I gasped and leaned forward, my face pulled with fear. The thought hadn't occurred to me yet. Granted, we had found my king alive but he wasn't exactly well. He had braved one wounded night without the protection or warmth of the village, showered with rain. There was no telling how much sleep he had gotten, and while he showed no external signs of head injury, he was most likely concussed and not to mention the threat of a fracture to his skull. He had suffered significant blood loss as well and the bullet was still lodged inside him. Not to mention the complications it would cause if the bullet was not in one piece when it was removed. Caesar wasn't out of the woods yet. No pun intended.

"I don't understand." Malcolm said when Ellie didn't answer. "I mean, where did Carver get the gun? Why would he do this?"

"Ape." I heard a quiet voice behind me say. I turned and made my way back to my king's side. Malcolm moved closer as well to ensure better hearing.

"What?"

Caesar held Malcolm's eye. "Ape. Did. This."

I gasped, and an image of the words on the rock looking over the education center in the village flashed before my mind.

_Ape not kill ape._

That was the law. Ape did not kill ape. I found it next to impossible to believe that one of the apes I've been living my life with could ever do something as awful as kill another ape. Especially with a human gun. Sure, not everyone there was a ray of sunshine, but who is? I'd seen and met some big, intimidating and even scary looking apes, but none of them would hurt one of their own. I simply couldn't see it as a possibility. Apparently Malcolm could not either, he backed up and turned to the two outside the vehicle.

"Get in the truck." He said, his brows low in his grave confusion. Ellie hopped back in and closed the door. She checked on the cloth dressing the hole in the king's shoulder. I sat back as the truck rumbled to life and we started the slightly bumpy trip down the fire truck road. I kept myself busy, grooming out Caesar's fur after his okay. Only occasionally did I look up. After another glance, I did a double take at the rusty crimson metal I seen go by. My head snapped up, and I looked in the direction we were driving, and my heart plummeted.

The city.

I felt the color leave my face, despite the blood my heart was pumping at an increased pace. I couldn't breathe, and my chest rose and fell quickly, like a rabbit gazing into a cobra's eyes. I faintly heard the sound of my name, but it was droned out by all the voices screaming at me in my head. All I could hear was the taunting voices of all the people who had tormented me in that place. The memory of the inner struggle of doing my best to keep from breaking down sloshed around in my stomach like a cold detergent. I felt a pair of hands on me and I immediately flinched, a squeak of terror escaping me as I jumped. The hands returned, squeezing me urgently. I jumped away, banging my back on the trunk door and almost falling out as another terrified gasp left me.

My senses returned enough for me to recognize the one who was touching me as Ellie. When her hands grasped mine, I clutched onto her fingers tightly enough for the blood to purge from my knuckles. I shook my head side to side as I tried to control my frightened breathing. The closer we drove to the city, the more memories plagued my mind. Blood rushed in my ears, adrenaline was pumping through me as every instinct in me was screaming at me to get away. We were almost off the bridge, almost inside those broken outskirts that led to nothing but broken lives. Ellie was still saying my name, but I couldn't focus on her. Fear ran through me, poisoning my blood. My brain hurt from the shaking my skull was still going through, but the people around me couldn't understand. Couldn't anyone in this vehicle realize that this place was evil?

"Rain! It's okay, it's okay, you're okay!" Ellie cried before pulling me to her chest.

I struggled in her arms, but she had the iron grip of a mother locked around me. I stopped struggling but my body kept moving, trembling in fear as I clenched my eyes shut, hoping that if I couldn't see my surroundings, they would vanish from reality. Hot tears welled up before dropping silently down my face. I buried my face into Ellie, wanting desperately to go back to the forest. I wanted to see Zira, I wanted to make sure the gorgeous mare hadn't been wounded by the fire that burned bright in her spirit. After an adequately tear stained face and a throbbing headache later I was released from Ellie's steel grip. She cupped my cheek with a hand and gazed into my eyes.

"Are you okay now?" She murmured.

I shook my head. "I don't want to be here. I wanna go back home." I turned my head to look back across the bridge, into the beckoning shadows of the woods. Ellie took me back into her arms and held me. I laid my head against her bosom and stared miserably out the window, watching the corpses of society flash past. My eyes sealed tightly shut and my brow crinkled a bit as I tried again to will away the events of the past few days.

"Oh my god...the colony's on fire." Ellie said as she sat up further. I raised my head and looked out the windshield to see a plume of black smoke rising up from the area surrounding a large, not quite completed tower. The human colony.

"The children..." I murmured when I sat up, suddenly remembering the orphanage I used to frequent. "Do you think they'll be alright?" I didn't know who I was asking.

"I'm sure they're fine." Ellie stroked my hair for a moment.

"How do you know?" I whispered, not expecting an answer as I slumped down into a corner.

"You okay, Rain?" Alexander called softly. All I did was groan meekly in response.

"We can't go back into the colony." Malcolm said.

"Where are we gonna go?" Alexander asked. Before the man could answer, Caesar started hooting weakly but urgently. I was right by my king's side, leaning toward him.

"What is it?" I asked, fearing he was in pain. He tried to articulate, but all that came out were deep, chocked sounds. He lifted a hand and signed. At first I couldn't figure out what he was trying to say, but I realized it was half of the movements needed for a certain word.

" _Safe_."

"We're trying to find someplace safe." I said, wondering if he had zoned out. He shook his head, hooting again. Malcolm pulled the truck to a stop, and everyone was focusing on the injured ape.

" _Safe. Safe_."

"O-oh, do you know someplace safe?" I asked, the notion suddenly presenting itself in my brain. Caesar nodded and tapped my shoulder before he grunted in pain and held the cloth over his wound again. I reached out and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked gently when he had had a moment to recover. Then a thought struck me, how could Caesar possibly know a place to go to in a human _city?_ Let alone a safe place? I decided to trust my king as I let the thought leave me while Malcolm started moving the truck again. After about a block, Caesar sat up and started banging a fist on the window weakly, hooting urgently. The king led us through the abandoned and broken streets of the city, and I moved behind him to brace his back so he wouldn't add to the pain he was already in. This went on for twenty minutes, Caesar peering through the dirty windows and hooting and grunting and banging his fist on the plastic-like glass when he spotted the turn he wanted to take.

"Is this it?" Ellie asked when Caesar's expression was even more urgent. We were getting close, I knew. "Are we close?"

"Where's he taking us?" Alexander asked, but received no answer. The king started hooting again and touched the glass with a fist, and I started grooming his shoulder a bit in an attempt to calm him down.

"Malcolm stop!" Ellie called.

The blue truck squeaked to a stop and the boys got out of the truck, leaving Ellie and I to await their arrival at our end of the vehicle. I peered out the window at where my king had taken us, but I could see nothing past the dense and lushly growing vegetation around the place.

"What are we doing here?" Alexander asked.

"It doesn't matter, we just need to find a place to hide until we find out what's going on at home." Malcolm answered his son as they opened the doors for us. I climbed out to get out of the way so the rest could transport Caesar out of the vehicle. Malcolm and Ellie carried the ape up the walkway and concrete stairs, Alexander and I in the lead. As we carried on, I realized it was a house. A ghost of a once beautiful Victorian style dwelling. I opened the unlocked, chipped door as Alexander went to help the adults carry Caesar inside. I looked to my left and seen a living room, and I rushed to push aside a black coffee table to make room for them to place Caesar on a dirty yellow couch. They dropped the king down onto the battered softness of the furniture. Ellie quickly moved the throw pillows to brace Caesar's head comfortably.

"Dad, look." Alexander crouched between us, holding a picture frame. I peered down at it, and my mouth dropped in shock at what I saw. Caesar, looking a bit younger, sat in front of a man. The man had dark curly brown hair and wore a bright happy smile. The man held his jaw in one hand, while the other disappeared behind Caesar's head. Caesar's left hand was holding the man's face, his large fingers splayed out against the side of his skull near his ear. When I seen the dark shirt on Caesar's body I realized what I was looking at. His past life.

Caesar once lived with humans.

My eyes left the picture, and flew to the wounded king laying before me. He met my gaze, and his eyes went to the frame. He knew what it was. The shock of it caused a cold fog to descend over my body. It made me realize why Caesar had shown such kindness to my brother and I. If the human he lived with had been kind to him, and by Caesar's personality and attitude, the human _had_ been kind, then how did Caesar get from here to the forest? And why? Then I remembered, the Ape Rebellion. I remembered hearing about it, how some had stated so firmly that a young chimpanzee had been orchestrating the entire thing. It made me wonder, could that have been Caesar? Was that rumor true? Some had also said that it was apes who purposefully spread the Simian Flu pathogens through the city during their revolt, was there any truth to those accusations? I had never believed them, and now given my experiences with apes, I still didn't. I knew that Caesar would never condone mass extinction. Not Caesar.

"We need to operate, I don't have anything." Ellie said, worry lacing her voice as she gazed at her cousin. "There's a surgical kit back at the place but that's..." She trailed off, knowing the negative possibilities.

"I'll go." Malcolm decided, taking on the deep, determined tone that he always got when he put his mind to something.

"It's not safe." Ellie protested.

"He's the only one who can stop this." Malcolm replied.

He turned to his son. "Alexander, come here." The boy moved closer to his father, who put a firm hand on the nape of his neck. "I need you to protect them, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Alexander nodded. "We'll be fine, Dad." Malcolm gave his boy's shoulder a squeeze and Ellie gave him a hug before he stepped away, looking at me. The man gave me a hug too, and I returned it without much reluctance.

"Hurry back." I murmured before he turned and walked back out the door. Alexander went to the window to watch his father for a few moments.

"Come on, Alex. Let's go see if we can find a first aid kit in the kitchen." I said, not really caring at the moment that he usually preferred to be addressed by his full name. I had noticed how much blood had bled through the cloth over the bullet wound in Caesar's shoulder, and my worry was increasing. With that, we searched the kitchen, all three bathrooms and even one of the bedroom dresser drawers. I found nothing, and we walked sullenly back into the living room. I shook my head at Ellie's unspoken question.

Ellie stood up and walked toward me. "Are you okay?"

I looked away and shook my head. "No. I don't think I am."

With that, I turned and walked away, up the flight of stairs, not caring if I fell through the floorboards. I made my way into a bedroom with a bench below a window facing the street. I sat myself down and pulled my knees to my chest, my back pressed against the wall. I buried my chin in my arms as they rested on my knees, gazing out into the broken suburban streets. I sighed and tried to imagine what it must have looked like when everything in the human world was healthy. What beauty did the humans on this block see while innocent apes sat behind steel bars looking out at scientists as they prepared their experiments. I wanted to laugh at how drastically the tables, or should I say cages, have turned. Now it was humans who were trapped inside the colony walls, only dangers outside the bars of their immunity to the Flu that stole everything from them. And now it was apes who lived in beauty and happiness, the science and technology humans have come to rely on presenting itself as only unnecessary and even inconvenient to apes.

But now things have changed. Now half the village has been charred black by flames with an unknown inducer. Now the apes I love so dearly think King Caesar is dead. Now they've been led on a rampage for revenge on humans who for once have done nothing wrong. Now an ape has broken the law. Now my own place in the world, with the apes, is clouded and uncertain. I've lived my life happily, sure, I gained a scarred belly, but I would go through the experience again if it would have meant that this would not have happened. My brother and my mother and my unborn sibling are dead, and I was never wanted by my other parental figure, and my grandfather was also dead, as well as my aunts and cousins and uncles, but I still had a family. I had a big family. My mind conjured up the memory of the day before, when Ash and Blue Eyes had come down from the trees to console me in a moment of grief-stricken weakness.

_"I know it's sad that they're gone, but you have us now."_

_"We're you're family now. You can lean on us, you know?"_

_"Ash is right. You don't have to deal with things on your own. I'm here for you. We all are."_

My eyes burned with tears as I thought about my two friends, and I wished I could relive the moments when Ash had barreled the three of us down into a group hug. I missed my friends. I missed Blue Eyes and I missed Haze and Harley. I hoped they were okay, especially Blue Eyes, for I knew he was probably in the colony. I found myself praying in both English and Cherokee in my head for his safety, for all of their safeties. I buried my face in my arms and gave myself over to sheer hope, willing everyone out there, human or ape, to be safe and make it out alive. I zoned in and out like this for what felt like hours, but when I finally lifted my head to look out the window, I seen two shadows on the broken pavement.

The sun was beginning to set, casting red and orange light down onto the street, and it blocked me from recognizing either of them. But I squinted and used my hand as a visor, and I knew immediately that one was human, and one was an ape. I sat there stunned for a moment, my mind grinding to a halt as I realized the possibilities. The two figures were out of my sight by the time I came to my senses. I got up and made my way back down into the living room, my moccasin booted feet silently carrying me down the stairs. The first thing I seen was Malcolm, standing with Ellie and Alexander one one side of the room. I stepped quietly into the threshold and followed their gazes.

A sudden joy filled me when I recognized the strong, stocky back of Blue Eyes. I drew in a slow, silent gasp, and it felt like breathing for the first time. He was here. Blue Eyes was right there and he looked unscathed. He was safe. He didn't know I was there yet, he and Caesar were having their own moment, and when I realized this, I stopped my feet from stepping toward him. Instead I turned to Ellie, who held a small pack in her hands. I approached and looked down at the medical supplies revealed inside, as well as taking in the slight alcoholic scent rising up from it. I looked up at Ellie, and whispered to her while signing, " _I want to help_."

The older woman searched my face for a moment before nodding in affirmation. She grabbed the backpack and approached quietly, me beside her."Caesar." She said quietly. "We need to do this, now." She crouched down and I followed, pulling some things out and searched through the tattered old backpack for the equipment we would need. I tried not to look up at Blue Eyes, but I could feel his smoldering gaze on me. For once, I didn't cave in.

"Son..." I heard Caesar say. Now it was even harder not to look up, but I wanted to give the two of them their privacy, even if there was nothing I could do about being in earshot. No verbal conversation took place between the two, but when Ellie and I approached, Blue Eyes was leaning over from behind the couch, holding his father's good hand. I wanted to smile at the touching scene, but I couldn't bring my lips to stretch. Too much had happened.

I bit my lip as I started helping the blond woman to sterilize the equipment. I was getting nervous and apprehensive about a step to the upcoming procedure. I drew in a silent, soothing breath, and quietly began speaking, nervously.

"Um...Ellie?"

"Yeah?"

"Um..the bullet. I-I don't think...I can't..." _Way to be pitiful, Rain_. I inwardly hissed at myself.

Ellie seemed to understand right away. She nodded and placed a comforting touch on my shoulder. "It's okay. I'll do that part. You get the wound ready and I'll finish cleaning this. Did Lana ever teach you how to stitch?"

I nodded and sighed with relief, my nerves melting away. I moved up to the couch and began gently cleaning the bullet wound, trying to ignore whenever Caesar tensed in pain. I didn't want to hurt him, and I knew that he knew that, but it didn't help to quell the guilt that arose. I wished again that he hadn't been shot. That an ape hadn't been the one to pull the trigger. But there was nothing I could do but continue to cleanse the wound, the past was the past, and there was nothing I could do to change it. All I could do was do my part in helping to mend what had been harmed. When I was done, Ellie and I switched places. The sun filtered in through dust caked windows, and caught on something near my knee. I glanced down at a small glass bottle on the ground. With the bottle raised into a shaft of light, I read the label. My brows rose and I spoke up.

"Ellie? Is this anesthesia?" The woman didn't look up as she tried to get the bullet out of my king's shoulder. Caesar was being surprisingly quiet, given that he was having a piece of lead pried out of him, albeit gently.

"Yeah, it is. Do you see the syringe?"

"On it." I replied as I spotted said tool. I started prepping it, and as soon as it, along with the needle and dissolvable thread, was ready, Ellie called me over. "I got it."

I held out a tiny tin tray and she dropped the bloody, pebble-looking bullet onto the cool metal. We switched places again, and I parted some of the fur on his chest. Before injecting the needle, I spoke.

"This will help with the pain, you won't have to feel the needle like I did." With that, I started stitching. I was sure he felt the first, but the numbing agents in the anesthetic quickly took over and soon I was tying off the end of the stitches.

"That's it. Now you just need to rest." Ellie nodded as she looked over my work. Ellie fluffed up the throw pillows under the large ape's head while I started cleaning everything up. Malcolm came to sit on his knees in front of me to help me. As I was placing the equipment back inside the backpack, I noticed something peculiar on Malcolm's forearm, something that made me freeze in place. The man noticed my stillness, and at the sight of my stunned expression, he stopped.

"Rain, are you okay?" The sound of his voice snapped me out of my mind's statue-like state. I blinked and met his eyes.

"That mark..." I indicated to it. "Where'd you get it?"

He looked down at his arm. "This? It's a birthmark. Why?"

I lifted my arm into the light and pointed out my own birthmark, the same shape, in the same place. "Why do I have the same mark?"

The whole room froze. I was afraid to breathe. My brain refused to function properly. It grated to a stubborn stop every time I attempted to come up with a plausible explanation for this situation. Why would Malcolm have the same mark as me? Everyone in the room was fixed on Malcolm and I. Malcolm had a startled look on his face that drove me to believe he was just as bewildered by the phenomenon as I was. But when Ellie placed her fingertips on her cousin's shoulder, I realized this was not the case.

"Malcolm, I think it's time to tell her. She deserves to know the truth." The soft spoken woman murmured gently.

My eyes took on a startled expression, and when Malcolm only gazed up at his cousin blankly, I became afraid and impatient. "Tell me what? What's going on?" I stood up.

Malcolm looked back at me, and rose slowly to his feet, his hands held out slightly as if I were an animal he was trying to keep calm. "Raina," He began. "What has your mother told you about your father?"

My brows rose at the sudden question, but my brain still stubbornly refused to let me make conclusions. It frustrated me, I was in desperate need of some form of closure. But nonetheless, I answered his question, albeit timidly.

"She..she never told us much. She always got this..pained look in her eye whenever I asked about him, so I stopped. It was always the same thing anyway. She said that he was a good man and it wasn't his fault and that that was all I needed to know. That's it. She never gave me a name or what he looked like, nothing. Why?"

Malcolm glanced at Ellie, who nodded toward me with a firm but supportive look on her face. Malcolm turned back to me, and the apprehensive cloud around his dissipated and drifted away in fluffy wisps. Malcolm drew in a deep breath and squared his shoulders slightly, looking right into my odd colored eyes.

"Rain, I'm your father."

Everything my mind wanted to think, but my brain wouldn't allow, came rushing at me. And now that it had come straight from the horse's mouth, I still had trouble believing it. I blinked, and seen Malcolm with fresh eyes. I took in the straight bridge of his nose, but could see no more physical similarities. But I remembered his stubborn determination and realized that my own bullheadedness might not have only been inherited from my mother. His determination to do what he believed to be right, made me think back to the day I had received the order to venture into the mountains, the way all I could think about that night was getting the lights back for the kids at the orphanage. So many traits in Malcolm, I realized were possessed by myself as well, but I still couldn't wrap my mind around it. I had known this man for more than half of my life. I could recall riding on his shoulders when I was smaller. I remembered running to hug his legs hello whenever he came to visit as a little girl.

"...What?"

"Rain, listen to me." Malcolm approached, but as soon as he raised his hands to place them on my shoulders, I stepped away, suddenly unsure and uneasy.

"What do you mean you're my father?" I shook my head in denial. "You can't be. My father didn't want me. How can you be him?" I really didn't know if it was true that the man hadn't wanted me. I'd always just assumed my mother had told me what she told me to protect me from a cold hard truth. Now I didn't know what to think. What are you supposed to do when a man you've trusted your whole life drops a momentous bomb like this on you?

Malcolm shook his head. "It's true. You're my daughter, Raina." I shook my head again and took another step back, my hands wringing in front of my chest.

"Prove it." My voice was small and weak, shaken down by this whole situation.

"What?"

"Prove it." I said, louder. Malcolm looked at me, unsure of how to accomplish this demand. My mother had told me something else about my father, I realized, something that if Malcolm knew, he would be speaking without deception. But I was afraid to ask, what if he got it wrong? But then again I don't know what I would do if he got it right. I drew in a breath and resisted the urge to bite my lip, but I looked Malcolm in the eye.

"Why am I Rain? Why did my mother name me Rain?"

Malcolm was so stiff and frozen you would have thought he was a statue, and it reminded me of Dax. The way he could stand stiller than one of the massive redwoods that surrounded my home. I pushed the thought away, not willing to give in to such notions until I knew exactly what was going on. The look in his eye told me what Malcolm would say before he said it.

"Because we were stuck out in the rain when I told your mother I loved her."

Shock flowed through me and I lifted my hands loosely to my lips. "Oh my god. It's true." I gasped softly.

I couldn't breathe. It was true but it couldn't be. Could my mother have told him the reasoning for my name out of trust in their friendship? Malcolm had never lied to me before, not once, so why am I so keen to believe he deceives me now? I took another step back, my head once again shook in denial.

"I don't understand. This doesn't make any sense." I said.

"Let me explain." Malcolm said gently. _Damn right you better explain,_ I thought.

"Your mom and I were young when we had Dax, you know that. When he was three, we got into a huge fight. She said she never wanted to see me again. So I left. Lana never told me she was pregnant with you. When I came here to live with my cousin for a while," He indicated to Ellie, "I ran into an old flame. And she dropped a bomb on me. She had gotten pregnant,but she couldn't find me again afterword. I didn't mean to cheat on Lana, but I did. Alexander was already almost two by that time, and I loved him as soon as I laid eyes on him. So I stayed with her to raise him.

"A few years later, the Simian Flu hit. It took everyone. But I ran into your mother again in the city, I had no clue how she got there. And then she did the same thing to me that Nova did. All of a sudden, I had a daughter. She showed me this tiny little girl with dark hair and eyes like I've never seen before. I lost Nova, I wasn't going to loose Lana for a second time. But God knows how much I wanted to claim the three of you, but I couldn't. Your mom was already with someone else-"

I interrupted. "Whoa, whoa, wait." I gave him a look. "My mother was never with anybody. What are you talking about?"

Now Malcolm gave me a look. "Carrot top." He pointed to his hair. For a moment I still didn't understand, but then it clicked.

"Oh, do you mean Breck?" I asked. Breck had been another friend my mom met through Dreyfus. He had had blazing orange hair and fuzzy red stubble on his jawline, but his cheeks were always shaved smooth. He had helped my mother with getting many of our provisions when we first arrived. I had thought he was a friend, but in the end, he was not.

Malcolm nodded at the name. "Yeah."

I couldn't help but glare slightly at him. "My mother would never be with someone like that bastard."

Again Malcolm gave a confused, furrow browed look. "What do you mean? He always said... Wait, what happened? Lana always refused to talk about him."

I looked away. Breck had done something unforgivable, and now I knew I would be forced to remember it. I had worked hard to forget, and for a while I thought I had. Now I knew the memory still lingered strongly. I bit down on my lip, needing some way to vent these emotions. I drew in a deep breath when Malcolm said my name. I shook my head again before answering.

"My mom had let me sleep in her bed that night. Breck came in when we were still asleep that morning. He tied us both to the bed. I woke up, and I got scared when I seen him tying down my mother. I was so afraid, I couldn't help it and I started crying. It woke up my mom, then Breck slapped me. Dax heard what was going on, and when he came in..." I trailed off. "He almost killed him. He just kept hitting him and hitting him...I thought he was dead. But My mom got Dax to stop before he could..." I clenched my eyes shut and tried to banish the memory

"When did all of this happen?" Ellie asked, shocked as she approached, but I stepped away again when she tried to touch me.

I looked away again. "Not long before my brother lost his hearing."

All the while, Malcolm was fuming. "You mean he tried to rape the two of you?!" He was having obvious trouble keeping calm. "Why didn't Lana tell me this?"

"Because it's over now." I spoke up. "The man is in jail. He has been ever since, and he can stay there for all I care. She didn't want to dig it back up after it was buried. The past is the past."

Then something else clicked. "But that was years ago, you had to of known she wasn't with him by then. You're not stupid. Why didn't you say anything? Do you have any idea what I went through? Didn't you think the little girl on your shoulders deserved to know that- oh, I don't know- you're her father?? And what about Dax? Did he know?"

Suddenly I was very afraid that my brother died not knowing who his father was. But then I remembered, Dax had asked me about our father before he died. Could that of meant he had known? I didn't know how I felt about that.

Malcolm raised his forearms slightly, in an attempt to get me to calm down. He nodded. "Dax figured it out just before he went deaf."

Hurt was the first thing I felt. Dax knew for all that time and he never told me. We never kept secrets from each other. Dax had been not only my big brother, but my best friend, I told him everything. A part of me couldn't help but ask, was this the only thing he had been keeping from me? I had no way of knowing. But then something else hit me, Dax was not my only brother. I looked up at Alexander, and immediately met his wide grey eyes. He couldn't believe it any more than I could.

"What does all this mean? And what about Alexander?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah," Alexander walked up and stood beside me, facing his...our..father. "What about me? What, did you not love us? Was I just some long term sedative to get your mind off your lovers' quarrel??" I was surprised he wasn't yelling, but I probably would have been more surprised if he did. Never had I ever seen Alexander raise his voice above 'annoyed'.

Malcolm immediately shook his head. "That's not true. You are my son and I love you no matter who you are or what you do. You are not, and never were, any form of burden or sedative. I had no clue your mother was pregnant, in all honesty, it was a drunk night. But what happened that night was not a mistake, okay, because I got you, and your mother was an amazing woman, God bless her soul. But when I met Lana again, I realized I still loved her too, and to add to that, I was surprised again with this little girl Lana kept insisting was my daughter. Alexander, I need you to try to understand."

Alexander was silent, and as his eyes roamed the room dully, I could tell he was thinking about what the man had said. He glanced at me, then back at Malcolm. "So...you're saying Rain is my sister?"

Alexander and I met eyes again, and at the same time, we both said the same thing. "Holy shit."

"Half sister, but yes." Malcolm confirmed.

Thinking back over all my experiences with Alexander, I found the new fact that we were siblings to be the thing that made the most sense here. The way he had always given me the most stupid pet names and teased me, but also the way he was supportive and understanding of my decisions. I had always thought of him as more of a cousin figure, but now I could definitely see myself calling him brother. Even if he could be an annoying bag of teenaged hormones from time to time.

"I'll ask again, why did you keep this from us?" I asked, feeling a fresh wave of hurt all of the sudden.

Malcolm sighed. "I wanted to tell you. Believe me, I almost did so many times. But Lana and I didn't know how to go about it. In the end, I guess I was just too afraid of your reactions. I had no clue what you thought of your father and honestly I just wanted to stay in your lives even if you didn't know the truth. I decided I was gonna be the best father to you and Dax as I could be from afar, I felt lucky enough to get to be Alexander's father."

My emotions were at a standstill. I should have been angry, I should have been furious, the fuck kind of reason is that? But I wasn't. I didn't find his reason acceptable but I found myself trying to see this from Malcolm's point of view. He didn't know if I or Dax would accept him. He didn't want to loose us. I didn't know what to do with that conclusion, no human had ever expressed that kind of affection toward me, not openly, not unless it was from my mom or Dax. Emotions were whirling inside me like an angry hurricane, hurt and betrayal and joy and pain blowing around in me like whipping winds, slicing up my insides to bleed in shades of confusion.

I looked up into Malcolm's eyes and in that moment, I knew. He was telling the truth. The man standing before me was my father. He had stood before me as Malcolm for years but now, now he was my father. He didn't mean to hurt me, or any of us. He had been afraid. I could sympathize with that. I've been afraid before and I understood how it could hold a person back. I walked up to him, still staring him in the eye. I raised a hand and punched his arm. Malcolm jumped and held is arm in shock.

"Rain!" He gasped, sounding a bit astonished.

"That's for keeping this from me." I said firmly, glaring up at him slightly. Then my face softened and I reached up to hug him. Malcolm wrapped his arms around my ribs and accepted the embrace cautiously. I felt my eyes burn, and I suddenly sobbed. A pair of tears slid down my cheeks as I tried to control my emotions.

"I always wanted it to be you." I whimpered into his chest.

I felt Malcolm suck in a light gasp, but then his grip tightened. "Aw, Rain..."

I backed up slightly, and turned to the boy still standing a few feet away. I reached my arm out to him, inviting him into the hug. Malcolm reached out too, and I could see Alexander's eyes flickering back and forth between me and Mal...Dad.

"Son.." He beckoned, an almost pleading ring to his voice. Alexander approached slowly, stopping in front of us, just out of reach. There was a moment of hesitation before he jumped into our embrace, and me and Dad happily accepted him. I felt their arms around me as I slung an arm around each of their arms, though height made the act a bit hard on my part. Dad somehow silently got us to lower to the ground and I sat on my shins as I hugged the family I never knew I had.

When we parted, Ellie stepped in slightly. "We should let Caesar rest."

At that moment I felt like an idiot. How could I have forgotten Blue Eyes and Caesar were still in the room? I kept my gaze on the floor, and stepped away from the two males that I now knew shared my blood. I suddenly turned and jogged up the stairs, ignoring his words when I heard Alexander call up after me, "Where are you going?"

I honestly didn't know why I bolted, but something in my head told me to get out of there, and before my mind could do anything to process or even acknowledge the command, my legs were already moving. Now I realized it was my need to think. But not here, I looked around at the peeling and moldy wallpaper, and the dusty and slightly dank furniture. It was too...suffocating. It had an atmosphere that made me think of paper in alleyways during a rainstorm, pulpy and just waiting to fall apart.

My gaze was drawn to the left by a ray of sunlight filtering in through dust caked windows. It was a balcony door. I walked over and tried the handle, and it clicked open, dust flying off in its wake. I carefully stepped out onto the wooden floorboards, not trusting them to hold my wight yet. They creaked and groaned softly in protest but held sturdy as I walked out. I made my way over the wooden handles that kept people from falling off of it, and pushed on it, testing it for weaknesses. It moved slightly but not enough to deter me as I hopped up onto it and grabbed the overhanging roof. I pulled myself up onto the roof, the black gravel-like patches on the roof scraping my fingers. I walked up the roof, between the crook of two ridges of the roof and plopped down. Here, I knew that if anyone passed by on the street, I wouldn't be seen, even if they could see through the dense vegetation in front of the Victorian dwelling.

My intention of coming up here was to think, but the warm breeze sweeping over me made my eyes droop, and I realized that even though I had slept the night before, I hadn't rested. A yawn pulled it's way through me, and I rolled over a bit, using my arm as a pillow. I stared blankly at the rough roof brick beneath me, and felt my mind slow to a stop, like a train releasing air pressure for the last time before it shut down for the night. It felt nice not to think so much for once, and I let the dull lull of the wind through leaves pull me into slumber as I imagines that I was laying on the rough texture of tree bark and that I was in the forest again.

\----not too long after----

When I awoke, it was to the feel of a warm touch on my shoulder. I looked up and was surprised by how much light the almost full moon poured onto the ape above me. I couldn't see his face, but I recognized his outline easily in the night's dimness. Blue Eyes. I sat up a little, and the prince plopped down with a tired sigh beside me and turned his head to look at me.

" _Are you okay_?" He signed, and I seen his eyes travel down my form in search of injury, though somehow I knew he didn't mean just physically.

I shrugged. "I think so. Are you?" Now I took the time to scan him for injuries, and I was relieved to see no new marks on him. His still fresh scars gleamed palely under the moon.

Blue Eyes hesitated, and looked away, his broad shoulders rising and falling as he heaved a sigh. " _I don't know_..."

I leaned foreword, fixing my worried gaze on him. He was withholding something, I could see it hiding behind his eyes. "What is it?"

His glacial orbs met my odd hazel eyes, and I could see so much pain shining through the glass of his eyes. So much emotion had worn on his face and turned it into a taut stretch of pain, exhaustion, and..loneliness? His body language was stiff and stressed out, he had been changed. Something inside him had been altered, and the faint smell of smoke that wafted in on the breeze left me with the realization of what was ailing his soul, war. He was afraid inside. I seen Blue Eyes for what he was in this moment. He was a tornado with pretty eyes and a heartbeat.

" _Ash is dead._ "

My eyes widened at the gestures of my prince. Shock fell onto me like ice cubes all over my body, my mouth dropped. I wanted to ask him to repeat himself, just to make sure I hadn't misinterpreted his signing. But I didn't. That would have been cruel. I remembered what it was like to tell Dax about my mother's death. How hard it had been, how the pain was almost physical when I'd had to shape my hands into those gestures of tragedy for my loved one. I wasn't going to make Blue Eyes do that again. My head shook side to side slowly, like it always seemed to when I was faced with shock or emotions of the likeness. A slow gasp sucked into me, and I raised two grief dampened, horrified hands to cover my mouth.

"No...not Ash. Oh, no...Blue Eyes..." I looked up at him. "I'm so sorry."

I reached out and scooted closer, hugging him before he could protest. Blue Eyes seemed kind of stunned by the gesture, as if he hadn't seen it coming. But he lifted his arms and I felt the strength in them encircle me, trapping me in a ring of comfort and warmth. His face found it's way into the nape of my neck and his grip on my waist tightened. Hot tears burned my eyes, and fell silently as I clung to my best friend. My mind was in complete shock and denial for the second time this night. Could this day get any more tragic? Memories slipped past me, seeming fast as light but at the same time slow as honey falling from the bottom of the bottle.

~*~

_Ash's face flashed before me, his light grey fur. The starburst of pink on his lips, his happy-go-lucky smile. His smiling green eyes._

_"What's it like to be human?" He asked as he, Blue Eyes and I sat by the riverside._

_I pondered my answer before shaking my head and replying. "I don't know. What's it like to be an ape?"_

_I remembered the smirk on his mouth and the happy gleam in his eye as replied, "Awesome."_

_~*~_

_"Hi, human."_

_"Hi, Ash."_

_I remembered the first dinner I shared with Blue Eyes, Ash, and Lisa. How Lisa had gone on and on about how smart her horses were, and how Ash had quieted her boastings._

_"We get it, we get it. You like horses."_

_I remembered how Lisa had cuffed Ash over the head, and boldly flicked the prince who she'd known as a little brother on the temple. And how just minutes later, when a distanced greeting from Deja had brought the eyes of the majority of the colony onto me, much to my embarrassment, Ash had lifted the spirits of everyone._

_"What?" He had signed. "I know it's hard to find a better looking ape than me to stare at, but this is too much, at least take turns."_

_We had all laughed, and I recalled the prideful, smug look on Ash's pale face. I had thanked him, and he had vainly replied,_

_"For what? My good looks? No need to thank, I'm happy to provide."_

~*~

Ash had been the cause of so much laughter and happiness. I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that he's not going to be there anymore. How can that be? All the times I got to watch him and Blue Eyes bicker like brothers. I remembered all the times Ash had stuck by my side when Blue Eyes wasn't there to make sure none of the not-so-fond-of-humans apes didn't mess with me. His happy go luckiness was no longer apart of the world, why not? Why did death have to come so early to an ape so great? He had the potential to be a good authority figure, like he was most likely going to be one day, had the wonderful teenager been given the chance to live. Tears slid down my face onto Blue Eyes' back. I wondered how Ash had felt in his last moments. Was he scared? What else was there to be?

I felt a small tremor underneath me, and after I heard a little, intended to be invisible sniffle, I realized Blue Eyes was trying to conceal his own weeping. I didn't say anything, I didn't give him a reassuring squeeze or a comforting pat on the back. I left him be to just disappear into his mind as I made sure his body was secure in my embrace. I hoped he was thinking about the smiles the loved grey chimp had provided him. I hoped he wasn't reliving the scene of his friend's death, like I had in the hours following my own brother's death. I remembered the feelings that churned within me the first day. I remembered being allowed a room to myself to grieve inside the healing hut where I could go undisturbed. The thoughts swirling in my head were self destructive and gave an almost painfully bitter taste to my tears.

~*~

_I had a visitor that day. I had looked up into the source of the shadow spilling over the ground in front of the doorway. A chimp I had never seen before stood there. He was familiar, and I recognized him only when he shared his name. He approached and crouched in front of me, giving me a reassuring smile._

_"It gets easier." He signed._

_I paused at what he had said. How could he know what I was feeling? How could this stranger know anything about pain, with his happy, seemingly ignorant smile? But I knew just how much a smile could hide all too well. I bit my lip before glancing up timidly and signing up at him helplessly, "Does this pain ever stop?"_

_He shrugged and rocked a little on the balls of his feet. "It'll start to fade sooner or later. You're always going to carry it, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing." He paused so I could take in what he had said. "Think about the good times. Think about the smiles he gave you. I'm sure your brother would want you to smile when you think of him, not cry. Do you understand?"_

_I had hesitated, taken aback by the wisdom in the young ape's gestures. But I nodded as I digested his words. "I'm still sad, though." I had whispered when the damp cloud of grief failed to lift from me._

_Ash nodded and gave me another smile and said, "Of course you are. I was sad for long time after my little brother died." After that, he pulled me over to him and hugged me. I stiffened in his arms but after a moment, I allowed him to comfort me. The hug only lasted maybe ten seconds, but he had been able to convey so much comfort and understanding into one small embrace._

~*~

It had later been explained to me by Blue Eyes that Ash had had a younger brother not three years ago, but the child had fallen sick, and for a long time he stayed sick. He just wouldn't get better. He finally stopped fighting when he was curled up in his mother's arms, right next to Ash when he was a small little chimp. Ash had lost his brother too. He, like me had clung tightly to his brother and yet he still slipped away from him, with Ash or anyone else having no way of bringing the loved soul back.

Over the amount of time I had spent living in the village, with Caesar's apes, I can honestly say I'd like to be able to call Ash brother. But now I never could. It was too late, and my chance was gone. I suddenly felt selfish, all I was focused on was what I was feeling, and all the while Blue Eyes was here suffering. He had lost a dear friend. He had grown up with Ash, they were like brothers, hell, they were brothers. Blue Eyes was controlling the storm within him remarkably well. I recalled how distraught I had been when Dax died. Ash had been there to give me vital reassurance and understanding when I needed it, even if I didn't know I had needed it at the time. Now I would do my best to push down my own grief, and help Blue Eyes with his. I had seen so much death in my short time, I was used to it, in a way. Though it never seemed to be any less painful, I could pull through in the end, but only with the help of others. As far as I knew, Blue Eyes had never seen what I had seen, never felt the pain that I had felt before, and I would help him cope with this as well as possible.

Blue Eyes pulled back a little, but didn't let me leave his arms. The prince wouldn't look me in the eye, and for his sake I pretended not to notice the redness of his eyes, but I wasn't sure how well that would have worked out if he was aware of the redness on the skin under his left cheek as his tears had irritated the still healing cut on his face. Still, I was kind enough not to say anything or look at it too much. Blue Eyes said nothing as he loosely hooked his fingers under my skull and pulled me foreword. My hands moved to his chest as I accepted the gesture, eyes falling closed. I breathed in the now clear air and felt the warmth rising from Blue Eyes' body, letting his closeness bring comfort. Soon though, the significant gesture was molded into another hug, and that too soon morphed into something else. Blue Eyes' strong arms tugged me lightly down onto the rising platform of the roof, encasing me into his arms. I wiggled a bit so I could lay more comfortably, my head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around me. I curled up to his side and one arm went to lay across his surprisingly hard tummy.

Our faces turned to the sky and we sat in silence. I gazed into the darkness above my head, and at the little bursts of light that hung like lanterns in the branches of night. My eyes traveled lazily across the nocturnal beauty of the heavens as I laid in the warmth and security of Blue Eyes' arms. I found a specific belt of stars that was apart of my favorite constellation, and couldn't help but point it out. When Blue Eyes grunted in affirmation, I let my arm drop from its guidance.

"Now look beyond it. Do you see the picture it's a part of?" I asked.

I raised my arm and traced it lightly. "See the stars that form an arrow? Pointing that way?"

Then Blue Eyes nodded, lifting a hand to loosely sign, " _I see_."

"That's Orion, the archer. It's my favorite constellation." I said softly.

"Why?" He whispered.

"I like the story behind it. There was a beautiful hunter that lived by herself in the woods. She hunted with a bow and arrow, like me. Her name was Artemis. One day, she met a traveling hunter in the forest. His name was Orion, and they were best friends as soon as they met. They stayed together in that little forest, hunting together for a while. Then Artemis' twin brother, Apollo, got jealous, and he didn't like Orion. His jealousy was so strong, that he tricked Artemis into leaving her forest for a short time, and he killed Orion. When Artemis got back and found Orion dead, she stayed by his body and grieved for weeks. Apollo felt guilty that he hadn't thought of how his sister would feel, so to make amends, he put Orion's body in the sky. So now whenever she's lonely, all she has to do is look up and her Orion will be right there with her."

"I like that story." His deep voice whispered, and I tried to ignore the shivers that it caused. We sat in silence and I turned away from the sky, resting my face on Blue Eyes' shoulder a I closed my eyes, suddenly feeling tired again. I felt Blue Eyes glance down at me before he tightened his grip a little and pulled me closer. I gladly curled up more closely to his warmth as I snuggled up to him. After a while, I felt myself drifting to sleep, but then a realization hit me that caused me to wake up a little bit more. I noticed how tense Blue Eyes was. His whole body was stiff, and when I glanced up at his face, a frown stretched across his thinking expression. I didn't like it when he frowned like that. I much preferred his smile.

"What are you thinking about?" I whispered softly. Blue Eyes heaved a tired sigh. The prince's head turned down to look at me, and there was something in his eye that I didn't like. I sat up and turned to face him, legs folding into a criss cross position. I held eye contact while my head quirked in confusion and worry.

"Blue?" I prompted. The ape sat upright and drew his knees up a little so he could rest his elbows on them as he bowed his head. When he looked up, all I could read on his face was exhaustion.

" _Did you know?_ " He slowly signed as his emotional face guard went up.

"Did I know what?" I asked, not sure of what he wanted.

" _Did you know that this would happen?_ " He slowly signed, and I realized what it was that I had seen in his eyes. Mistrust. I gasped in shock. He thought that I had a part in this? I felt a huge wave of hurt flow over me. I was especially hurt by his mistrust in me, I had only seen him look at me like that a few times before, when we didn't know each other, when he had a reason to not trust me. Had I not proven myself?

"Of course not." I couldn't keep my hurt feelings from leaking through my emotional filter. How could he think that?

Blue Eyes held eye contact, and I could see him gauging me. I didn't like it. The blue eyed prince nodded and looked away, lifting a hand to sign, " _Okay_."

He didn't believe me. I couldn't help but feel annoyed and upset at this. What had I ever done to validate betrayal or trickery?

"Blue Eyes, I didn't plan for this. When I went up that mountain, I had no idea any of you were there too. And even if I did I wouldn't do something like that. That's not how I am, I thought you knew that." Not only could I hear my hurt, but also my upset defensiveness. How the hell could he think that? He knew me so much better than that! Or so I thought.

Blue Eyes gave another sigh and sat up straighter, turning to me. His face was slightly twisted in an apologetic frown. " _I know you're not like that. Of course I know that. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just..._ " His hands dropped and his head bowed again. " _I feel like I could loose all my friends tonight. And there's nothing I can do about it_." He slumped his shoulders slightly, his head still bowed. I frowned and scooted closer, feeling guilty about my previous thoughts.

"Well, I'm your friend. And you're not gonna loose me." I said softly.

Blue Eyes let out a huff and shook his head, looking to the side. That annoyed the hell out of me. But it was soon replaced again with hurt. Did he not think of me as his friend? Then what has he been doing all this time? These past few days with me? Did they mean nothing to him? Am I not good enough?

"What?" I couldn't help but snap at him.

Blue Eyes let out another irritated huff, it almost sounded like a chuckle. That brought on a fresh wave of annoyance.

"Blue Eyes, what?"

Blue Eyes whirled around and was signing at a quick speed, and though I had no trouble following along, I was still surprised by his vivacity. " _I don't want to be your friend. I want to kiss your neck and your mouth and your head and your everything else and I want to hold you and touch you all the time and your laugh makes me feel so alive but your smile suffocates me and your eyes make me feel hot all over and I love how you can make me smile just by looking at me. I love the way you see the world even though it's been so cruel to you. I love how you can overlook anyone's bad deeds and see THEM. I love the way you look at me. And I love...you._ " He dropped his hands with a slightly stunned expression, but his wide glacial eyes gazed into mine intently. "I love you." He whispered out loud.

I think my heart stopped.

My lips were parted and my eyes were wide in shock. Part of me was wondering if I had misinterpreted his signing, but how the hell do you misinterpret that? Not when I've been signing everyday of my life for the past four years. My heart was beating out of my chest and I felt a small blush creeping into my cheeks. My breath hitched in my throat and I couldn't say all the things I wanted to say.

"Blue Eyes..." His name was the only thing I could pull from my lips.

There was a moment of hesitation from both of us, and Blue Eyes looked away again. I felt like I had been jerked out of some sort of spell once the blueness in his eyes were not visible to me anymore. Blue Eyes raised a hand to his chest to sign, " _I'm sorry_..."

I shook my head. "Please don't apologize for that."

Blue Eyes looked up and when he did, I had moved a bit closer. For a moment I couldn't meet his eyes, but I didn't want to look away either, so I forced myself to raise my head. When I met his eyes, I seen a new kind of fear in there. I didn't like the fact that he was scared, but I was too happy to care. But I was also too afraid he would take it back.

"You...you love me?" I had to make sure.

The handsome chimp looked down for a moment, and then back up. I couldn't identify the look in his eyes. Blue Eyes nodded with a little grunt. "Yes."

A smile and a little breathy laugh forced it's way through me, and I couldn't help but look down as I moved a strand of hair behind my ear. I couldn't believe it. He loves me. I looked back into those sky infused irises and I couldn't help that my smile grew just a little.

"I love you too." I whispered before the words could get caught in my throat.

There was a moment where his eyes widened and then the next all I knew was that his lips were on mine and my eyes were suddenly closed and his hands were lost somewhere on my body and his arms were all around me. My happiness tingled through my veins as his lips moved on mine with surprising expertise, and I couldn't stop the moan he pulled from me. He answered with a growl of his own that sent shivers coursing deliciously through my body. The kiss was passionate to say the least, and was chalk full of tenderness and heat and love all in one and it baffled my mind. I didn't get sparks or fireworks or anything that some girls feel. All I got was a feeling of certainty and right. That was plenty for me. Deep down, I knew this was who I was made for, and I wanted to live in this moment for the rest of time, or at least until the sun came up.

When we finally had to pull back for air, our foreheads leaned against each other's. We both moved in for little pecks a few times in stereo, and it left us grinning and giggling slightly. Blue Eyes cupped my face with one warm hand, and I leaned into his touch. I gazed up at him through my lashes as he watched my face. His cerulean orbs gazed down at me lovingly before he leaned his head in and our foreheads came together again. I breathed in, and the air tasted better than it ever had before, it was clear and fresh and cold and felt wonderful in my lungs, which was something the air just didn't do in San Francisco. Not like this.

I'm not sure how or when it happened, but somehow the two of us ended up inside the house, slinking around upstairs, hoping the floorboards didn't squeak. Which, miraculously, they did not. We found a room, and quietly shut the door. A bed with most of its blankets and pillows present sat in the middle of the room. I turned to Blue Eyes and before I knew it I was pushed down onto the bed and Blue Eyes was on top of me and he was kissing me and it was all I could do to keep from moaning in approval. My arms wrapped around his neck as his lips moved on mine in a wonderful way. My head swam and sizzled as he kissed me to paradise. I felt his large hands travel down the length of my body and slip up onto my bare torso after burrowing above the hem of my dress. I felt it start to ride up around my waist and I lifted my butt a little so it could get up farther. Blue Eyes took that chance to wrap his arm just above my love handles and moved me back farther onto the bed. He followed and draped his body sensually over mine before crashing his lips down onto mine again. I whimpered happily into his mouth as his hand cupped my face.

I loved him. I loved Blue Eyes and he was making it harder and harder not to. But now I didn't have to suppress it anymore. I didn't have to keep the fact hidden from even my own mind because he loved me. He had to, no one could kiss someone the way Blue Eyes was kissing me and not love them. I wanted to laugh like a schoolgirl as my heart pounded in my chest. Wonderful bursts of adrenaline coursed through me and all I could think to do was kiss him back as feverishly as he was kissing me and I did everything I could to pour all my feelings for him into the mind-numbing kisses he was laying over me expertly.

Again, without me being able to recall how, I found myself inside the covers of the bed, curled up to Blue Eyes' body. He held me close in a loving embrace as we continued to deliver slower, lingering kisses to each other. My dress remained on, but Blue Eyes paid it no mind as one hand took its time in tracing the curve of my back, sending tingles up my spine. His other large hand was still cupping my cheek, his thumb stroking the skin of my cheek. My hands were still on him, one cupping the nape of his neck while the other felt the firm muscles of his chest slowly. Soon we grew lusciously fatigued, and my head laid against his hooked arm and shoulder while the hand that had been stroking my back laid loosely on my hip. His other arm reached over and held my body to him, his hand resting on my ribs, just under the curve of my breasts.

I drifted off in serene happiness, in Blue Eyes' arms. I breathed in and snuggled closer to my prince as his grip tightened slightly after pulling the covers up a bit, to cover my bare arms a little. I had no need for them really, Blue Eyes was all the warmth I needed and more.

**Sorry for the wait. Let me know what you think :)**


	17. Chapter 17

When slumber lifted it's veil from my mind, I was encased in warmth. A faint sound roused me a bit more, the deep hiss of breath. I slowly opened my eyes to see a dark chest very close to my face, pinkish scars running along the left pectoral. I became aware of the entanglement my limbs were in as consciousness grew stronger. When the blanket of comfort shifted, I realized it was not a blanket, but Blue Eyes. My neck shifted slightly at the same time his chin tucked in, and the result was a pleasant splash of fondness as our eyes met. The moment I laid odd eyes on those oceanic orbs, the most recent events of the night before came rushing back. The confused annoyance, the startle of the ape's sudden moodiness, and the beautiful words of his confession played through my mind. I gave him a small smile in greeting and he returned it, the stretch of his lips softening his features.

"I love you." His husky morning voice whispered.

My smile widened a bit at the sound while my heart fluttered in my chest at the words."I love you, Blue Eyes." I answered.

The prince leaned his head down and pulled me closer, flexing his biceps as our foreheads met. I closed my eyes and sighed happily. Blue Eyes broke the gesture first to lay a kiss on my forehead before pulling me closer to him, and I gladly snuggled up to him. _Is this a dream?_ I thought to myself. I hope nobody pinches me. A content smile drifted lazily on my lips as Blue Eyes held me, the both of us happy to just lay there in each other's embrace. I contemplated trying to sleep again, but when I acknowledged the happy buzzing in my brain, I knew I wouldn't be able to. How long had I imagined this happening? And how many times had I shot the notion down and labeled it impossible? But here I was, in Blue Eyes' strong embrace. In honor of my newfound happiness, I nuzzled my head into Blue Eyes' chest. He reciprocated the gesture by curling his body around me slightly, pulling me further into the mindset that we could stay like this forever.

My body rose slightly as Blue Eyes heaved a sigh, then felt the tickle of his face gently nuzzling the top of my head. "You're beautiful." His voice whispered, and the gravely morning tone to the words sent appreciative shivers down my spine. A smile stretched my lips again as butterflies fluttered within me, and I leaned up to give him a kiss.

"You think so?" I whispered back, trying to push down my bashfulness.

Blue Eyes nodded his head lazily. "I've wanted to tell you that. For a long time, little Bird."

I glanced down shyly before giving his lips another slow peck. "Thank you and good morning." I said softly.

The scarred prince wore a lazy smirk as he gazed into my eyes. "Morning."

I laid my head down on his hard chest and hugged him to me with one arm as I glanced out of the crusty, draped windows. There was no sunlight that I could see, but pale pre-dawn light made the dirty windows glow with the milky colors of the moon. Blue Eyes slung an arm around my shoulders and we just laid there in silence, content with our silent company. The silence ended too soon for my liking, but I suppose everything comes to an end sooner or later, good or bad.

"I should leave soon." Blue Eyes murmured.

I craned my neck to look at him. Somehow I didn't think he meant leaving the room. "To where?"

"Back to the, city. Have to help Father."

"What?" I propped myself up on my elbows. "You're going back there?"

"I have to."

"No you don't." I shook my head slightly as I tried to keep my voice down, but my growing concern made it hard.

"Rain," He murmured gently. "I have to help my father. Koba, has to be, stopped."

I drew in a breath. "Koba?" Blue Eyes nodded, a sad air falling over him.

I looked down at Blue Eyes' chest, away from his face. The scarred bonobo's face popped into my mind. Sure, he scared me when he glared at me, but denial still slowed my thoughts, like a truck stuck in the mud. The image of Koba's soft, happy smile drifted into my mind as he held little Harley in his arms, the child happily welcoming his father home. Koba had never liked me, and any confrontations with him were far and few between. But I didn't think he was a bad ape. He had been hurt, and he had the scars, physical and no doubt mental, to prove it, just like me, albeit my worst human induced scars were mental. I couldn't blame him for not liking me.

"I knew he doesn't like humans in general, but I never thought he would do something so..." I struggled to find the correct word. "Drastic."

Blue Eyes turned his head away. "Neither. Did. I."

I looked up at him and suddenly remembered a crucial fact. I'd seen both Ash and Blue Eyes refer to the bonobo of topic as uncle. Blue Eyes was taking this betrayal hard, I seen it in the way the handsome ape frowned and stared blankly at a corner of the room. I sighed and laid my chin on his right pectoral. His aquatic eyes glanced at me, and placed one of his large hands on my head, his fingers playing loosely with my hair. He lifted said hand and flicked his fingers twice, beckoning me closer. I crawled up closer to his face and Blue Eyes shifted so he could face me better, and the arm opposite to me bent back so his hand could serve the purpose of his makeshift pillow.

Blue Eyes' hand that had beckoned me to him went back to my head, cupping my cheek. The way he looked at me caused butterflies to shimmer into being in my tummy. I leaned into his touch, and the action caused me to realize how big his hand really was. His fingertips could almost reach past my ear, and my cheek was smaller than his palm. Or maybe it was just that I was that small. I've always been small, even at birth, there was talk of whether or not I was born early. And that sparked a few to wonder if I had developed completely, and I recalled the story my mother had told about how she wasn't allowed to take me home from the hospital until they were completely sure all my bones were as they should be. Luckily I was fine, just tiny. But now I was conflicted on who's size was questionable at the moment. Either Blue Eyes was naturally bigger than me, or I was smaller than I thought.

"I love you." Blue Eyes murmured.

I nuzzled his palm. "I love you too." I loved telling him that. And each time he said those three little words my spirit cartwheeled in rejoice and my veins tingled with delight. I couldn't get over the fact that what had happened between the two of us was real. Blue Eyes loved me. Part of me was terrified that I would wake up and Blue Eyes and I would still be only connected through friendship, and I would be left again to suppress my confusing feelings. I was finally free to give in to the silly teenage girl urges that used to torment me. At least in privacy.

Blue Eyes sat up, and I followed suit. He gave me a smile and pulled me into a hug. I gladly accepted the embrace, laying my head on his shoulder as I felt his muscle clad arms squeeze me to him. I felt Blue Eyes heave a sigh as his face pressed into my hair. The hug ended much too quickly for my liking, but Blue Eyes still insisted that he had to leave soon. I didn't protest out loud, though I wanted to. I could see in his eyes that he wasn't going to relent to my pleading, he was going to help his father, and there was nothing I could do to stop him. We left the room, hand in hand. We walked slowly, savoring our last minutes of privacy. I liked the feel his warm hand encasing mine, I could feel the strength in his fingers, but the gentle way they held mine made me smile. He held me like I was made of glass, and the slightest too-rough touch would cause me to shatter into glimmering dust.

Too soon, we reached the staircase, and we were forced to let go of each other. I tried to extinguish the disappointment weighing down my stomach, and got annoyed at myself for it. _You've gone your whole life without holding his hand, you're not gonna die if you don't hold it now,_ I chided myself. We stepped into the living room, and my gaze immediately flicked to Caesar. The king glanced up at our arrival, and a small smile graced his features. He looked better. Much better. His fur was still matted in most places, but he didn't look so exhausted, so defeated. It made me happy to see the ape like that, although he wasn't completely well yet, he was on the path to recovery. Caesar would be fine, given he rested. I breathed a sigh of relief at that fact. Ellie was busy checking his stitches when Blue Eyes and I entered the room, but she stood up when she became aware of our presence.

"Rain," She said softly, then seemed to hesitate before she picked up her sentence. "How are you feeling?"

I gave her what I think was a reassuring smile. " _Good_." I lifted my hands to sign the word.

She let out a relieved sigh before giving me a warily curious look. "Do you...have any questions?"

I thought about her question, and knew I did have a few inquiries, but they could wait for later. I was shaking my head, about to vocalize my answer when I realized something. My head froze mid shake, and Ellie paused as well.

"You're...you're my Dad's cousin. That means you're my cousin too...or does that make you my aunt?" I asked, suddenly feeling uncertain about how to address the woman. Did I keep calling her by her name or by some familial title? Ellie smiled and shrugged.

"I'm your second generation cousin, but if you want you can call me aunt. It's your choice." She said.

I nodded slowly. "Okay." I said quietly. At that moment, Malcolm walked into the room. I turned to him and he stopped in his tracks when he seen me. I seen his eyes flick behind me, to where I was aware that Blue Eyes was crouching beside Caesar. I tried not to notice Malcolm's Adam's Apple bob slightly as he gulped. But he got over whatever it was that had faltered him and came to stand beside me. There was a moment of eye contact before I was in his arms, delivering a tight hug on both sides.

"Hi." I murmured when we pulled back.

"Hi." He murmured back. I drew in a shuddering breath to control the tears which were unexpectedly threatening to spill. Dad gave my arms a squeeze and a tight but genuine smile. He knew I wasn't mad. I turned my head to the sound of a throat clearing softly.

"Do I get to hug my sister?" Alexander said softly.

I gave a small smile to the taller boy. He held out his arms and I stepped toward him, shoving my face into his shoulder. I had hugged Alexander before, but that was always as my friend, now I was hugging the brother that had been right under my nose for years. It was quick, but it was full of the understanding of each other Alexander and I had always had. When we pulled back he gave me a smile, and I returned it. I had a family who's blood I shared. They were right here, hugging me. It was a notion I had thought was no longer possible. How life can change...

I turned to the couch, Blue Eyes was crouched beside it, signing back to his father as he whispered to the younger chimp, Caesar's wounded shoulder was still too sore to allow him to use sign. As if feeling my gaze, Caesar turned his head to look at me. I felt it safe to approach without disrupting a father-son moment, and crouched beside Blue Eyes. Caesar extended a hand in greeting slightly, and it gave me a surprise, though I tried not to show it. The gesture was more casual, used with close friends and family among apes. I hesitated, but I respectfully reached out and tapped his knuckles with my own. I peered up into Caesar's leafy green eyes and seen that although they were tired, they were bright and filled with purpose. My belief that he would be fine was reinforced, and it brought a fresh wave of relief.

"Found your family." Caesar said softly.

I gave a soft smile, and glanced toward Malcolm and Alexander, who were talking with Ellie on the other side of the room."Some of it. The rest are still out there."

Caesar gave a small smile, but it soon faded away. I quirked my head worriedly. "Are you in pain?"

"Not much." Caesar murmured. I had never heard a voice sound so strong yet so weak. It scared me to hear him speak like that, even though I knew his chances of recovery were much higher than before. I had so much respect and admiration for the being in front of me, it pained me to see one so noble suffer so. The older chimp turned his gaze onto his son, who watched his father with a worried expression.

"Should go soon. Nearly dawn." Caesar advised.

Blue Eyes nodded, and held his father's fingers in his for a moment before standing up. I stayed crouched next to Caesar, but my worried, almost anxious eyes followed the young male as he moved to the foot of the couch and bent down. When he straightened his back again, I was surprised to see a gun in his hand. I'd never held a gun in my life, never touched one. I didn't want to today. But it was still a bit of a shock to see the normally reigned in and stoic prince holding the dangerous weapon.

"Rain, you should follow him out and see if you can still see any more smoke coming from the colony." Alexander suggested when he noticed Blue Eyes preparing for his departure.

I glanced at him, eyes a bit widened. But after a moments hesitation I nodded and stood straight. Blue Eyes held my gaze for a moment before he turned to walk toward the front door. I closed the door quietly behind me and we walked down the porch stairs and down the walkway. Blue Eyes stopped right before the sidewalk and turned, pulling me to the left into the thick vegetation. I willingly followed him into the greenery. Concealed in the growth, Blue Eyes pulled me to him, his biceps flexing as he held me tightly to him. I buried my face into his warmth and we stood there, the gun on the ground now. I didn't want him to go. There was absolutely no guarantee that he would return unharmed. The thought made my stomach tighten fearfully.

Blue Eyes pulled back slightly but kept me in his arms. I gazed up into those oceanic orbs and felt the strength in his body as he pressed against mine, and felt safe. I knew that as long as I was here, in these arms, I would be okay. But he couldn't hold me forever, not the way I wanted him to. I quickly banished the thought when I realized what direction they were taking me, and again focused on the blue irises I could stare into forever. I didn't have the opportunity to though, because Blue Eyes put an end to eye contact when he dipped his head down and kissed me. I stood up on my toes in an attempt to get closer, and Blue Eyes seemed to have the same idea when he pulled my body tight against his. Once again I was washed with the feeling that this was what I was meant for, for Blue Eyes. My head swam dizzily as our lips danced, and I feared that if Blue Eyes slackened his grip on me, I would fall.

When we parted, I fell back onto my heels and panted slightly, trying to replace the oxygen my lungs had been denied. Our foreheads came together and I took that moment to let my mind recover, as well as my legs to gather their strength back. I opened my eyes when Blue Eyes broke the gesture by leaning in to peck my lips. It had caught by surprise, and I had been unable to reciprocate, so I leaned up to give him another. Our foreheads came together once again and we locked eyes, soft smiles on each other's faces. The gesture molded into a hug, and Blue Eyes adjusted his hold so one arm was coiled around my waist while the other traveled up to loosely hold my neck. Blue Eyes heaved a sigh and I knew then that he was preparing to pull away.

"I'm afraid." I whispered. I hadn't to meant to voice my thoughts, but as soon as I realized what the handsome male had been about to do, I felt my fear for him pour into my stomach. Blue Eyes pulled back slightly, and met my mis-colored irises.

"Everything will be, fine. Nothing, is going to hurt you. I won't let it." He said firmly but gently.

I shook my head miserably. "That's not what I'm afraid of..." I trailed off, not knowing how to explain the reasons for my feelings.

"Then what?" Blue Eyes' hands traveled up to cup my cheeks. "What scares you?"

I sighed and let my hands travel up to hold his wrists. "This. Blue Eyes, I've been afraid of this for so long. I didn't want to let myself love you. Because sooner or later everyone I love leaves." I had to stop to control the emotion building in my throat. "I don't want you to leave." I couldn't stop the single tear that slid down my cheek, all I could do was hope he wouldn't notice. But of course he did, and he wiped it away with a thumb. I drew in a deep breath to calm myself, and Blue Eyes gave me a reassuring squeeze as he took a step closer, if that was possible at our proximity.

"Rain," He murmured gently. "I am never, going to leave you. You're mine, and I'm going to. Keep you safe. But to do that, I have to go. Just for a short time. I'll be back. I promise."

My lips parted, and I could feel my eyes brimming with salty tears. I bit my lip as it started to tremble, and I hugged him before the tears could spill. Blue Eyes hummed comfortingly as he held me tightly. He shushed me and rubbed my back slowly as I sobbed a few times. I felt a strong wave of love for Blue Eyes wash over me as I clung to him. I also experienced a strange burst of confidence as well, but not for myself. Blue Eyes would keep his promise to me. He always did, even if the promises he had made me before were mostly over petty things, he hadn't ever gone back on his word. Blue Eyes would come back.

I pulled back with a sniff, and wiped my eyes. I nodded at what he said after a deep breath. "I know you will. You'll help Caesar put a stop to this, then you'll come back." I was surprised by the amount of confidence my voice held, but it seemed to help Blue Eyes perk up.

"Yes." He agreed, before pulling me in for one last kiss. I returned it greedily, both of us lingering as our lips parted.

"I have to go..." He whispered, glancing out into the street.

I sighed and new that the sooner I let him go the sooner he could come back. "Be careful, okay Blue Eyes? Please."

Blue Eyes gazed into my oddball eyes and nodded. "I love you, little Bird."

"I love you too, Blue." I said, and I hoped he knew how much I meant it.

The scarred ape bent down and picked up the gun he had brought with him, and we struggled to tear ourselves away from each other. I know this whole thing probably seemed pretty petty and puppy-eyed of us, but we both knew this could very well be the last time we seen each other. There was no guarantee that he would come back alive, but I knew he would fight to keep his promise. I wouldn't let myself think of what would happen if he didn't come back. I couldn't deal with thoughts like that right now, not when I was about to let him go back into a city where danger is more than likely.

Blue Eyes leaned foreword and grabbed my fingers in his before laying a soft kiss on my head. When he pulled away, he gave me a small, reassuring, almost happy smile. I returned it the best I could. "Come back safe." I murmured. "I need you." I hadn't meant to add that, and embarrassment was the first thing I felt. But it soon drifted and away with a feeling of disdain for how pitiful and miserable I sounded.

The prince gazed into my odd irises and gave my fingers a squeeze. "And I need you. Take care of, yourself. Please, Bird."

I returned the tight grip of our hands and nodded, giving a small whisper. "I will. As long as you do the same."

Blue Eyed puffed out a breath of laughter, a soft, sad smile playing of his lips. He let my fingers fall from his grasp and turned away. He walked down the sidewalk and out of sight quickly, and I was glad. If he had lingered in my vision, I knew it would have caused nothing but pain for the both of us. I took a deep breath to calm myself, only feeling a little of the relief it was meant to give. I spent the next ten minutes standing in the overgrowth, trying to put a lid on the almost uncontrollable emotions running through me. It felt like I was in a movie, Blue Eyes and I the love struck, angst filled teenagers forced apart by tragedy. I would have laughed if someone had told me a year ago that something like that would commence between me and a simian prince. But stakes and emotions were running high and thin, and this whole entire experience proved to me that life had a way of changing, nothing was bad forever.

After deciding whether or not I'd given Blue Eyes enough time to get out of sight from the long San Franciscan streets, and decided that ten or so minutes was a sufficient time period, I peered out from the sidewalk, toward the colony walls. I could just see the tip of the tower, but I couldn't see any signs to show evidence of fire or ape. I sighed sadly, and decided I should get back inside the house before they all thought I'd decided to run off into the hostile city with the prince. I paused briefly at the thought, a contemplating expression on my face, but I shook the thought away and continued up the concrete steps.

When I stepped in the door, I was careful to do it slowly so I could try to avoid making the hinges squeal. But as soon as I got the door quietly shut, one rebellious floorboard protested when it felt my small amount of weight press down on it. I sighed inwardly and continued inside. I looked to the left and saw that Caesar had fallen asleep. Good, he needed all the recuperating rest he could get. I went to turn and go back upstairs, seeing as my father, brother and..aunt? Were somewhere else. Probably to give Caesar peace and quiet. But my name was softly called before I could make it to the staircase. When I turned, I seen Alexander quickly walking towards me, doing his best to cross the distance between us with his long legs while simultaneously trying to keep as quiet as possible.

"Can we talk?" He whispered when he reached me.

I nodded and he nodded toward the stairs. I went into the room I had gone to before Blue Eyes and Dad had returned, not wanting to go back to the bedroom I had slept in. I sat myself down on the bench by the window and looked at Alexander expectantly. He held out a little box, and I realized it was some provisions Dad must have picked up while on his medical run, if one would call it that. It had food in it, but I shook my head and politely declined, stating that I wasn't hungry.

"When's the last time you ate?" He asked, a suspicious gleam in his eye.

I shrugged. "A little while ago." It was a lie. Honestly I couldn't remember, and realized now that there was an empty ache in my stomach.

"Really?" Alexander could see right through my façade. "Rain, please. Don't start this habit again. This is why you're so small."

I glared up at him slightly. "I'm naturally small, my diet has nothing to do with it."

Alexander crouched down in front of me and rested his chin on my knees like a dog might, holding the box up invitingly. "Please eat."

I sighed and complied, knowing that I really should. It had probably been about two days since my last meal, but with everything going on, hunger had been the last thing on my mind. I opened the food container and started eating. Once Alexander was sure I wouldn't stop after a few bites, he joined me on the bench, pulling a knee to his chest and resting his chin on his knee. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I had swallowed the food, and started digging in hungrily. The bowl of bland food didn't taste as good as the fruits and forest foods I had gotten used to, but they didn't taste as bad as they could have in my suddenly ravenous state. Once I was done, Alexander decided to pick up a conversation, and he got right to the point.

"I saw you and Caesar's son last night."

I froze, and after a moment of stiff hesitation, I turned to look at my newfound brother. "What?"

He turned his steel grey eyes onto me. "I seen the two of you." He repeated.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, not quit sure how to go about this. Blue Eyes and I didn't tell anyone about our feelings for each other, we knew that the apes weren't likely to take kindly to our feelings for each other, and I didn't think the revelation would receive a warm welcome from a human either. Even if he was my brother.

"I saw you making out." He said deadpan, the look in his eyes saying that he didn't feel like beating around the bush with me. Mortification flowed over me. _First he sees my bones then he sees me making out on a dusty bed during the beginnings of war,_ I inwardly grumbled. But the flicker of annoyance vanished with a wave of embarrassment. _Oh God, my brother seen me making out with someone!_

I gaped at him for a moment before speaking to him in a hushed voice, "Alexander, I don't know what you think you saw-"

"I know what I saw. Rain, I just-...I wanna ask you some questions." He interrupted. I looked away, pulling my knees to my chest and hugging them to me. I was surprised I wasn't blushing, but the whereabouts of my blood were the least of my worries at the moment.

"Do you like him?" He asked quietly.

"I love him." I murmured, risking a sidelong glance at my older brother. Suddenly Dax's face jumped into my head. What would he have thought of this? I had no doubt that if he had lived he would have seen what was going on between Blue and I, but how would he have taken the development? As far as I knew, Dax had liked Blue Eyes, but would he have been comfortable with our mutual emotions for each other, or the things we had been doing? As a big brother who still seen me as a little girl, I knew he wouldn't have liked how intimate Blue Eyes and I have been lately, but as the more rationalized big brother, I'd have liked to think he would have been happy I was feeling something so strongly for another individual, one who had confessed shared feelings for myself, albeit Dax probably wouldn't have found the species contrast ideal.

Alexander's expression was slightly readable. I could tell he didn't know what to think, he was shocked, but who wouldn't be. I mean, an ape and an outcasted human? Not the likeliest of matches. I could only bite my lip and hope that I wouldn't be rejected by a brother I never knew I had. His eyes roamed all around the room, and I could see him nod to himself every now and then through my peripherals. I pulled oxygen into my airways in the form of a deep breath, trying to calm my racing mind. I kept trying to imagine what the taller boy would say about my feelings for the scarred prince. Finally he turned to look at me, and I tentatively met his iron colored gaze.

"He makes you happy?" Alexander murmured.

I nodded, not even needing to think about my answer. "Yes."

Alexander nodded with a small sigh. "How does he treat you?" I couldn't help but let a smile ghost my face at his brotherly questioning. I felt flattered that he cared enough about to question my important choices like this. It reminded me of Dax, and I felt loved. I had felt a luxurious amount of it lately, I realized, and my smile grew some.

"He's always treated me well. Always been there for me. He's my best friend, he and one other.." I trailed off and my smile dropped when I remembered Ash's departure. Again I felt the questions bubbling up inside me. Why did Ash have to go? That happy, cheery soul like no other? Why?

"Do you mean that grey chimp? The one from the other morning?" Alexander's voice cut through my internal mourning. My mind recalled the morning I had traveled with Maurice to find Alexander waiting for us. Blue Eyes and Ash had come down when they detected my distress, and their reassurances repeated in my mind.

I nodded. "Ash."

"Something happened to him?" Alexander asked softly.

I blinked away the hot tears that brimmed hotly in my eyes. "He died." My voice cracked. There was a moment of quiet, and in that moment, a lump of emotion arose in my throat, so strong it hurt as my lip trembled. I bit down on it before my brother could notice. Though I wasn't so sure he hadn't seen it.

"Oh...I'm sorry... Oh..." Alexander pulled me under his arm when he seen the tears escape the prison of my lashes. I sobbed and pushed my face into Alexander's chest, glad that I had someone to comfort me. I hadn't wanted to cry about our loss in front of Blue Eyes, he had needed a stronghold to lean on, and I had known I would crumble if I allowed myself to really cry, then both of us would be on the ground. Where would we have found the strength to pick each other up?

Alexander rubbed my back and shushed me, letting me wet his t-shirt with saltwater. I trembled with the effort of trying to stay quiet. I didn't want my father and aunt to hear my distress, I didn't want to have to explain my pain to them. Not right now. I started distracting myself, singing cherokee songs like my mother used to to in my head to try and calm myself down. It worked for the most part, and I was able to wrangle my tears back. I sucked in a deep, trembling breath, and leaned away from Alexander's embrace. I sniffed and muttered a small thanks for his consolation, to which he gave a small hum of acknowledgment. I sighed, clearing my brain. Or at least that's what I was trying to do.

Alexander muttered something I didn't catch.

"What?" I asked

"What's his name?" The boy repeated himself. "I never got to find out."

I almost asked who he was talking about, but I realized soon enough. "His name is Blue Eyes."

"Blue Eyes?" Alexander asked.

I nodded. "Blue Eyes." I said his name just to feel it on my tongue. I missed him, and my worry was starting to come back. I turned around and looked out the window, wondering if I willed it enough, if I would be able to see exactly where said ape was right now, whether he was okay, or scared or nervous. I would be both of those if I were in my beloved's position.

"How'd he get those scars?"

"A bear." I answered.

There was a moment of silence. "So you're really in love with him huh?"

I nodded and looked him in the eye. "I really am."

Alexander drew in a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly. "My brother-in-law is an ape." I heard him mutter.

My eyes widened a bit and I immediately felt a blush heating up my cheeks. "We're not married."

Alex smirked. "I know. I just love to mess with you." His face then dropped into an expression of stony seriousness. "But I'm gonna give him a little talk when he gets back."

I gave him a look. "Don't."

"Like hell I won't. I was already planning on having a 'talk' with whoever won you over. I've always seen you as a little sister. But now you really are my little sister. I really understand what made Dax so protective now. Besides, Dax was going to do it even if I didn't, so it seems I have some big shoes to fill. Think I fit the bill?"

I was touched, my astonishment loosened my jaw. He cared about me enough to do that? I felt flattered, and the realization kicked in again, I had a big brother. I thought about his question, and scanned him up and down once."Well, you're no Dax, but that's not bad. Be Alexander, not Dax."

He let out a puff of laughter at that. "You know, you can call me Alex." He said. "I know I usually insist on my full name, but I'll make an exception for you."

"Well don't you know how to make a girl feel special." I replied.

"Well your Blue Eyes better know how to do that too, or we may just have a problem."

I laughed and shook my head. It felt nice to know that I had a brother again, one who wanted to look out for me like Dax had.

"Seriously though, does he? Make you feel special?" Alexander got serious again.

"Yes, he does." I answered with a smile.

Alex smiled back. "Good. I will allow nothing less."

"Down boy, you're my brother, not my father. Calm yourself." I laughed lightly. It felt nice to laugh, to take a moment to connect with my newfound sibling, even though we had already been good friends before this new revelation.

"No, but I am." A new voice cut into the conversation. I looked up to see Malcolm standing in the doorway, watching the two of us with a small, fond smile. He beckoned us over, and Alex stood before I did, and pulled me along toward the curly haired man. He pulled us into an embrace, and I had a sudden flashback. My thoughts conjured up a vision of a dream I had recently had, though now it seemed to have taken place years ago. The man and the baby. Now I realized why it had bugged my subconscious so much. Could that dream have been some sort of premonition or warning of the truth yet to be unveiled?

I shook the thought away, deciding to live in this moment here. For a few seconds, I let my worries slip away, though I knew they'd be back. I reveled in the way it felt to be hugged by my father and brother. It was a sensation I thought I would never know. But here I was, hugging the two taller males with a feeling of content. The emotion was short lived though, when we returned to the downstairs living room. Dad and Alex went to go do something, while I walked into the kitchen to see Ellie staring at a few foods on the counter. I walked up and looked at the ingredients, and couldn't figure out what she wanted to make.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Ellie jumped and let out a startled noise, whirling around and placing a hand over her heart. She calmed down when she seen it was me. I started as well, not expecting her to react as such. "Oh, Rain. You scared me." Ellie laughed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. What are you doing?" I added.

"I'm trying to figure out what to make Caesar. He needs to eat if he's going to recover quickly." She explained, and turned back to the counter, contemplation wrinkling her countenance.

I peered over her shoulder. "I don't know if he'll want to eat any of that. Have you checked the backyard? There might be a garden." I suggested.

Ellie turned to me. "That's a not a bad idea. Come on."

I followed the older woman to a pair of dirty French doors. They were rusted slightly from years of neglect, but with each other's help we soon got it forced open with a metallic squeal. The first thing I seen was green. Just like the front of the house, the backyard was severely overgrown, and I wondered if signs of deer would be found there. But I quickly shook the thought away. This wasn't the forest, this wasn't home. We carefully picked our way down the wooden stairs, testing each steps' strength. Soon we were on the ground, and I drew in a deep breath. Soil and rain soaked concrete filled my senses, and though these scents had once brought on positive emotions, now they just made me miss my forest home all the more. Ellie and I went about moving through the plants, crouched to the ground in search of anything edible. It wasn't long before I spotted a patch of familiar green shoots. I gasped happily when I pulled up a ripened carrot.

"Good job." Ellie praised as we started plucking the orange roots from the ground and placing them in a busted up but clean bowl. The carrots were like a lighthouse, after we found them my eyes found other vegetables as if guided by some unknown force. It was surprisingly fast to fill up the bowl with edibles. Among the carrots, I found snow peas, wild lettuce, and even potatoes. With smiles on our faces, we returned inside the house. Alex was looking around the kitchen with a confused look on his face, but it dissipated once he saw us.

"Where were you guys?" He asked.

"Look what we found!" I said excitedly, keeping my voice down as I ignored his question.

Ellie set the bowl down and the boy gazed inside. His eyes widened and a small smile crossed his face. "Is that..?"

"Yeah it is." Ellie nodded as I got a rag out. We started dusting off the veggies, not willing to waste what little water we had. Alex searched for a knife at our request, and soon we were chopping the veggies into bite size pieces. I scooped most of them into a small container, and carried them out to the living room. Father and Caesar seemed to have been having a conversation, but they paused when I walked in. Father looked up at my approach, and raised his brows when he seen the contents of my bowl.

"Where'd you get that?" He asked.

"Ellie and I found them in the backyard. There's more in the kitchen." I replied. He nodded goodbye to Caesar and ruffled my hair as he made his way toward said room. I let out a little grunt of annoyance at having my hair messed with. But I got over it quickly enough, and helped Caesar to sit up. I held the bowl while Caesar used his good arm to pick the little bites up and placing them in his mouth. Minutes flowed by silently as I gazed down at my bared knee. I wished I had worn something other than my doeskin dress now, I felt cold.

I wondered if Blue Eyes was cold right now. What was he thinking about? Was he safe, resting, or was he fighting for his life? My heart dropped at the thought of the stocky chimpanzee, on the ground in pain. I tried to force the thoughts away, replacing them with images of the chimp of topic back in the forest. I remembered hunting with him, how careful and silent he had been, as well as his skill with the heavy spears the apes had mastered. I tried to caption these images with 'He'll be fine' but it wasn't working as well as I'd hoped. I wanted to see him for myself, to know he was okay. And it wasn't just Blue Eyes I was worried about. I had made so many friends in the past few months, now I realized they might not all make it. Blue Eyes' words up on the roof came back to me.

_"I feel like I could loose all my friends tonight, and there's nothing I can do about it."_

"What troubles you?"

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Caesar's deep voice. I looked up at the king with confusion. "What?"

"What is on your, mind?" He repeated quietly.

I looked down then back up, hesitant. "I'm just...really worried about everyone."

Caesar sighed and nodded. "I am too." He whispered.There was a moment of silence, and in that moment I worked up the courage to ask something that had been on my mind since the shock of this fiasco wore off.

"Caesar?" I started. The large chimp grunted in acknowledgment.

"What..what's gonna happen to me? When this is all over?" I tried not to bite my lip as I awaited his answer. I could feel his green eyes searching my face, but I refused to meet his gaze, keeping my eyes locked on the pale fabric of the couch. The silence rang in my ears almost painfully, so I honed my hearing in on the sound of Caesar's breathing. The quiet seemed to drag on for hours, but I knew it wasn't nearly that long.

"Do you not want, to be with your father, brother?" The king finally asked.

I looked up at him, and then glanced to the kitchen where everyone else was before meeting Caesar's eyes again. "I'm glad to know that I'm not the last of my family, but their place is with other humans. I never..." I glanced down, somehow feeling that what I was about to say was some kind of betrayal to my father and brother. "I never really felt like I belonged here. Honestly, I don't think I can ever live here again. Right now I...I feel sort of lost. I don't know what's going to happen to me or my friends. I'm scared."

For some reason, I was finding it difficult to meet Caesar's gaze now. It wasn't that I was embarrassed, I think it was more along the lines of I was too afraid of what I would see in his irises. I didn't know what compelled me to spill my thoughts to the king, but I supposed that it was because I trusted him so much. He had never done anything to decrease my revere for him. I felt I could tell him what was on my mind, he had close to the same affect on me that Cornelia did. The thought of the gentle queen brought on a new wave of sadness and worry. What must she be feeling right now? Where was she? Koba wouldn't be cruel enough to allow females with children to care for into a potential war zone, would he? _No_ , I thought suddenly, _no, he wouldn't._

This betrayal was affecting me as well. I knew perfectly well that Koba didn't much care for my kind, but it still baffled me that he would go to such extremes, and for what purpose? Why go through all this trouble? What was his goal? My mind kept thinking _No, he's an ape. Why would he do this?_ And honestly it was pissing me off. Was I so short sighted? Anyone and everyone were capable of great deeds and misdeeds, it was as simple as slipping a pack of gum in your pocket to infiltrating the white house. It's not like I had a perfect record, there were plenty of times I'd ditched school or occasionally cheated on a test or something like that, albeit they paled in comparison to what Koba had done.

"We will find. Your place. I will protect you." Caesar murmured hoarsely. I looked up, surprised. But then again, I shouldn't be. It wasn't the first time Caesar had done something almost questionably kind for me.

"Caesar..may I ask you something?" I requested timidly. The large ape let out a grunt.

I took a deep breath. "Why are you so...kind to me? From the first day I met you, you could've killed my brother and I as easily as rabbits or fish. But you didn't, you gave us shelter, you allowed me to do my work at the dam, you..you let us into your home. Mere strangers. You let us eat our meals with you and your family, when my brother got sick, you didn't seem angry that you had to go out to search for him at all. You wasted your medicines on the both of us, hell, when my brother died, you lowered him into his grave yourself. I wanna know why, no one has ever done anything like that for me before. No one human at least, my own species. No one has ever thought of me as worth kindness. So why do you?" I was on the brink of tears, my lip starting to tremble. I hadn't meant to elaborate my question so much, but once I started it had been hard to stop.

Caesar caught my eye, and I could see the gears turning in his head as he thought it over. I was afraid of what the ape would say. I heard the larger male heave an almost tired sigh before I heard his voice again, so low I had to strain slightly to hear it.

"You are pure. Not many, like you." He paused. "I see, the way. You interact with, ape. And human. You have scars in your mind. I can tell. But they, do not. Hold you, back." He paused again, and I knew his strength was starting to seep. I almost wanted to ask him to stop. Almost. "From living. You are not like, others of your kind. You are...not usual. I like your, fire. One day..you will make some...one, happy..." The king's eyes started to droop. I knew now was the time to leave him be but how could I when he says something like that?

"What do you mean?" I asked, unsure of what to make of the last thing Caesar had said.

"I think it's time to let him rest." A soft voice murmured behind me, and an equally soft hand laid upon my shoulder. I turned to see Ellie behind me.

I glanced back at Caesar and seen him fighting to keep his eyes open. I nodded and inclined my head in farewell as I stood up, taking the bowl with me. I munched on the last of the cut up veggies as I pondered what the wounded king had told me. What did he mean by I would make someone happy one day? I couldn't help but think of Blue Eyes. I wanted to make him happy. But could I? I knew that we couldn't keep our feelings for each other a secret forever. I didn't even want to hide them, but I had to. Both of us did. But there was just too many uncertainties. How would Caesar and Cornelia take it? Alexander had taken this whole thing confusingly well, but I couldn't expect the royal couple to have the same view on this. As much as I wanted to believe they would be accepting, there was in no way any guarantee. Not to mention everyone else.

How would the rest of the apes at the village handle this? I knew with some of their experiences and by the stories told to the younger generation, this would not be an easy concept. Then there was the concern of my father and Ellie. I didn't think that a father ever imagines his daughter falling for an ape. And I fell hard. I didn't know Ellie well enough to make an assumption on her reaction. But I certainly didn't peg it as a positive one. But a whole other problem was my place in the village. All this worrying over romantic orientation could all be for nothing; I might not even be accepted back into the village. I doubted that the apes knew Koba had shot Caesar, it was unlikely that the bonobo would have told them. They were fighting in completely different war than they thought. They were being used and they were oblivious to it, one might even call them blissfully ignorant.

I may not even be accepted back into the community after all of this, and the thought made my stomach churn painfully. If they didn't want me back, where would I go? I knew I would always have a place with my father, but their place was here, in the city with other humans. Mine was not. My place was in the forest. I was happy there, I could rely on the land and the people around me. Just like my ancestors did. But now things have changed. I could only hope that all would turn out well. But that wasn't enough for me. I didn't want to sit still and twiddle my thumbs and pray. I wanted to do something to help. But beyond helping Ellie nurse Caesar, I had no idea what I could do. Even if there were something I could do, would I just be getting in the way? I had too many questions swirling in my mind, I didn't know what to do with them.

\----two days later----

Two days. Forty eight of the worst hours of my life. My mind was exhausted, no matter how much I rotated between napping and nursing and trying to juggle taking care of myself and trying to build a more familial relationship with my newfound kin as well as the constant stream of worry that ceaselessly flowed over me, I never seemed to catch a break. I couldn't handle it for much longer. I barely slept at night, so my exhaustion forced me to take naps during the day. On the first night, I didn't sleep till nearly dawn, but I awoke again at mid morning and was unable to find slumber again. I missed Blue Eyes. I missed my hollow. I missed my home.

I wanted desperately to go out and find Blue Eyes. I wanted to give him a good hard smack for putting me through this. Though at the same time all I wanted to do was hug him and kiss him again. The amount of desire I had to do that scared me, I had never felt this strongly about a feeling so new to me. I wished my mother were here. I wanted to talk to her about this, she had always known how to soothe my mind. But she wasn't here. I considered asking Ellie about this, but even though we had grown much closer, I didn't feel I could rely on her to look past the contrast in species and give sound advice. Thinking that caused guilt to weigh down the corners of my mouth. But it didn't change the fact that I had only myself to consult.

I had pushed down memories, memories of nearly everything in my time in the ape village. Ash was in many of them, I had seen him nearly everyday, nearly as much as I seen Blue Eyes. He and Ash both were my closest friends. Now that I knew that I would never be able to see that smug, speckled smirk ever again, I was left drawing a blank. I couldn't imagine how Blue Eyes must feel about his untimely demise. The young prince had known Ash much longer than I had. If I felt so much pain and grief for the pale burly ape, how much was Blue Eyes suffering right now? Was he working to block it down? Like me? I supposed that he was feeling something like the way I felt when my brother passed away. His last words rang in my ears.

_"Gvgeyuhi, Wesa."_

_I love you too, big brother._ I thought tenderly.

Longing filled me, and I suddenly found myself wishing for the company of the dead as well as the living. I stood up and began pacing once again. I had started that nasty habit last night. I tried again to picture where the scarred ape might have been, and why it had taken him so long to return. What could he possibly be doing to aid us that takes this long? The worry and annoyance swirled within me and I was helpless to stop it. I sighed and continued my pacing as my teeth tortured my bottom lip and my fingers wrung themselves ceaselessly, like knitting needles wrenching themselves in anguish for their missing yarn.

"Keep that up, and you'll wear a hole in the floor."

I turned on my heel to see my brother leaning against the doorframe. I didn't answer him, and my silence let him notice the way my eyes kept flitting to the front door behind him. Alex let out a sigh and nodded to the couch. _Sit down._ I sighed and followed the older boy's silent command. Caesar was not on the tattered piece of furniture, he had gained the strength to get up and walk on his own yesterday evening. I was gratefully surprised at the event. I was sure he would have had to stay on bed rest for at least a few more days, but I was given a lesson on how much faster apes could heal. I was glad. It was good to see the large chimp on his feet again. Right now I didn't know where he was exactly, somewhere in the house, stepping among memories.

The cushion beside me sagged as Alex sat down beside me. "I know you're worried, but wearing yourself out is no good way to go about it." He said gently, softly rubbing the back of my shoulder.

"I know." I sighed. "But I can't take this constant worrying. I can't shake it."

"Yeah, I know." Alex nodded. My first instinct was to snap at him. How would he know? But I held my tongue, knowing that he was a reader, and readers have lived a thousand lives through thousands of points of views, thus they understood or had insight to many degrees of scenarios. I sighed again, my shoulders slouching as I looked out at the fading light. Tomorrow it will be three days since I had seen Blue Eyes. I missed him. I hoped to God he was okay.

"Hey, come on. I'm sure he's fine. He's just being thorough." Alex tried to comfort me, his tone artificially lightened.

"Annoyingly so." I muttered.

"Hey guys." I looked up to see Ellie entering. "What're you doing?" She inquired as she sat down in front of the couch. I slid down onto the floor with her, keeping my back on the couch. Alex followed suit.

"Just talking." Alex replied.

"You alright, Rain?" Ellie asked. I shrugged, silent.

"She's homesick." Alex said, and I mentally gaped in surprise. And once again I reprimanded myself. Alex knew how to read me, of course he'd know. Ellie reached out and touched my knee comfortingly, and it reminded me of the gestures of comfort apes often used. I sighed sadly at how human her fingers were. Then again guilt flowed over me. She couldn't help how human she was anymore than I could.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Ellie murmured. "How about a game? Get your mind of the worrying. I know how worry can eat away at a person." She suggested.

I looked up. "What kind of game?" I asked quietly.

"Well, I'd like to know a little more about your life. So how about a question game?" The older woman said in her soft spoken voice. She wore a smile as soft as her voice, and I suddenly felt very sorry for her lost daughter. She had been taken from a good mother. I hesitated before nodding. A game might be good for me. After all I had promised Blue Eyes I'd take care of myself. But then again that deal was only valid if he did the same.

"Okay, are you and Caesar's son close? It seemed like it." She asked.

I hesitated again, though only slightly. "Yeah. He's my best friend. Next question?"

"Where'd you get the dress?" Alex asked. I glanced down at it, realizing I had worn it for nearly three days. I was suddenly aware of how stiff it had begun to feel.

But I pushed the thought away, or at least I tried, for there was nothing I could do about it. The house had been looted, and most if not all valuables or necessities had been taken.

"I made it." I replied.

"You made this?" Ellie asked, seeming surprised. "This is..?"

I nodded. "Doeskin. I made myself a few things to wear. The thread clothes I took won't last forever, I thought I might as well learn how to make forest clothes."

"Who taught you?" Ellie inquired.

"I remember some tips my mother gave me." I shrugged. "Mostly I just did what seemed to make sense."

Ellie glanced down. "Did you make these too?" She indicated to my moccasin covered feet.

I nodded. "They were hard to make, but I figured it out." I said quietly, beginning to feel very self conscious.

"This is very well made. Good job." Ellie said, giving me a rewarding smile. I tried to return it.

"Where did you stay? In the village, I mean." Alex inquired.

"In a hollow. It's nice and big. And two friends made me a hammock to sleep on." I answered, smiling at the memory. But suddenly a thought hit me, was Brent out here in the city? Or as an Oba did he stay in the forest? Did anyone at all stay in the safety of the forest? I hoped so.

"That's cool. But how do you keep warm? Without any fur, like they have." He asked.

"Furs and pelts. Fire hearths too. My hollow has little lamps hanging from it." A real smile started stretching my lips as I thought of my cozy hollow. I missed it. I missed waking up to the smell of moss and flowers and smoke from the fires. Before this had all happened, new hanging plates had been added to the ceiling of my hollow, but instead of using them for fire, wild flowers had been hung in them. I smiled more at the thought of sometimes waking up with blossoms on top of me. I had taken the precautions of hanging the plants away from the fires.

Ellie started to say something when a sound from the outside caused me to shoot up to my feet. Alex and Ellie looked up at me with confused countenances. "Did you hear that?" I said softly.

"Hear what?" Alex asked, both of them rising to their feet cautiously.

I didn't answer, making my way quickly to the window. I couldn't see anything through the thick vegetation, so I dashed upstairs, barely even touching the floor as I made my way up to the other side of the house to one of the second story windows. I gazed down into the backyard with my heart hammering. I gasped happily at what I seen. A group of shadows, and one in particular proved the sound I had heard. Maurice's copper coat caught the moonlight, the source of the soft hoot I had heard. My eyes scanned the crowd, and I seen many familiar faces. Including Luca and Rocket. I felt my eyes burn with relief when I recognized the gleam coming off a chimp marked by pink scars on his chest.

Blue Eyes.

I flew down the stairs and rushed out into the moonlit darkness behind Malcolm and Caesar. The sound of happy, welcoming and relieved hoots and calls filled my ears. I stepped out from behind my father and rushed to the first ape I seen, Maurice. His beady green eyes spotted me and the wise old orangutan knew immediately what I intended. He opened his arms to me in a grandfatherly embrace and I felt comforted to be hugged by the kind ape. When I pulled back I scanned him for injuries. I found none, but I didn't doubt his thick fur could hide damage.

_"Are you alright, Maurice?"_ I signed.

He nodded and placed a hand on my shoulder comfortingly. _"I'm fine, young one."_

I felt a second hand on the back of my neck, and seen Luca and a chimpanzee I knew as Thade searching me over as I had to Maurice.

_"Are you harmed?"_ Luca signed, huffing as he looked me over.

_"No. Are you?"_ I signed back.

Thade and Luca both shook their heads no. I had met Thade soon after I arrived, introduced to me by Lisa. He had been a good friend of hers since they were younger than Haze and Harley. Apparently their homes were in very close proximity of each other, and their parents were good friends. Honestly, I thought Lisa had a crush on him, but I could have been wrong, the young chimp, like Brent, was good at hiding her feelings for him. Most of the time. I had a sinking suspicion that it was Thade she had had in mind when she had kept going on about how brave the warriors were for going into the city with Caesar to deliver the message. He was a nice ape for the most part. He had a temper, but the first time he pointed his sharp tongue at me, he was quickly reprimanded by Ash and another chimp named Dana. Thade never snapped at me again, though I always knew when he was holding back.

I heard a familiar huffing noise, the little noises Blue Eyes often made when he signed. The thought made me think of how Dax had made little breathy noises when ever he had been signing about something he was passionate about. When I turned I seen Caesar and Blue Eyes reuniting, as well as a few others. I walked up and joined them. As soon as Blue Eyes seen me, he placed a few of his fingertips on my shoulder. He dragged them away but they never left my body as I stepped in to hug him. The hug couldn't last as long as I would have liked, but in that tight embrace I allowed myself to let go of my anxiety, if only for a few seconds.

_"Hurt?"_ I signed, glancing over his body quickly. He shook his head and huffed reassuringly, reaching over to give the back of my shoulder a few gentle thumps with his palm. I let out a relieved breath, but I was distracted when Rocket came to check on me. We exchanged the same inquiries as the rest, and I was glad to see he was uninjured, at least physically. I cleared my thoughts and straightened up when Blue Eyes began to sign with Caesar.

_"Koba sent for the females and young. They're on their way. Mother too."_

Caesar turned to Malcolm, who had stayed back to let us have our reunions. "Must go. Now."

Dad moved forward, and looked to me, nodding to the doorway where Ellie and Alexander stood. "Back inside." He said softly.

I shook my head. _"I wanna come too. Please, Father."_ I said and signed.

He shook his head. "Way too dangerous."

_"Please. I know those streets. I know the rooftops to take that will help get them to the tower without being seen. You're gonna take them through the subway, right?"_ I continued to sign as I spoke.

Dad paused, an almost pained look on his face as he thought it over. Finally he turned to Caesar. "What do you think?"

I turned to him. "I spent my life here hiding. I know those roofs." I tried before I inclined my head to the king and extended my palm to him, but I kept eye contact for the most part.

There was a moment of dragged out silence and hesitation. But finally, I felt his calloused palm swipe over mine and I let out a relived and grateful sigh. I caught a glimpse of Blue Eyes shaking his head at Caesar with an alarmed countenance, but I lifted my hand to my chin to sign, _"Thank you."_

The king nodded to me. _"You will listen to your father and I."_ He warned.

I nodded. _"Yes, Caesar."_

"Are we ready?" Malcolm asked.

I nodded and Malcolm turned to tell Ellie and Alexander to tell then I would be going along with them.

"What?" Ellie walked foreword. "No she's not." I was a bit surprised and flattered at the worry heightening her voice.

"What if you get hurt?" Alex said to me.

"Guys we don't have time for this." I said.

"She's right. I'm not too happy about it either but she knows the best paths to take without being seen. We have to go now." Malcolm said, ushering them back inside."I'll be back."

With that, we set off into the outskirts of the city, picking our way over society's nocturnal skeleton.


	18. Chapter 18

I stared up at the gaping concrete tunnel. A feeling of cold foreboding swam through me as I gazed into the darkness inside the abandoned subway tunnel. A sudden warmth spread through me, and I glanced down to see Blue Eyes was lightly holding my fingers in his. When I looked up, I seen reassurance swimming in his cerulean gaze. He gave me a small smile before letting go of my hand. I felt disappointment fall on my shoulders at the loss of contact, but I understood why he let go. We couldn't let anyone see our feelings for each other. No one could know.

A new touch was laid on me, this one on my lower back. I turned to see Maurice. He met my eyes and gave a reassuring nod. I smiled gratefully and nodded back. Feeling less afraid of the tunnel now, I followed beside Blue Eyes as we stuck close to Malcolm and Caesar as we entered the cave-like hole. Everyone was nervous, even Malcolm and I moved close to the ground as we skirted over the dirty track rails. I kept my eyes fixed ahead of us, and soon, I caught sight of something. Something alive. Something _human_. I gasped and darted ahead in front of Caesar and Dad. I lifted my arms urgently and glanced behind me. Whoever it was hadn't seen us yet. The man was far away, but he was right by the platform we needed to get to.

" _Wait! Wait!_ " I whispered and signed. " _Someone is up there!_ "

They looked confused, but Caesar directed everyone to our right, where there was an abandoned platform. It was destroyed in some places, and litter cluttered most of the concrete floor. My father poked his head out from behind the dumpster we were crouched beside and looked down the tunnel. He turned back to us, confusion weighing down his brows.

"I don't see anyone." He said, his voice staying low to avoid the acoustics of the subway walls.

I shook my head. " _There's someone down there. I seen them._ " I continued to whisper as I signed.

The only reason I was really using my voice to communicate right now was for my father's sake. When Dax lost his hearing, Malcolm had tried to learn to sign, but in all honesty, Malcolm was the worst signer I had ever seen. I had held my silence though, but it had been Dax who confronted him about it. Dax hadn't flat out told him that he sucked at ASL, but he asked if he would refrain from signing so he could get used to reading lips. I think Malcolm was more relieved than we were.

"What do we, do?" Blue Eyes whispered from underneath Caesar's arm. The king had drawn the younger chimp under his arm when the four of us had ducked our heads together to discuss what happens next, while Caesar's council members listened in.

I didn't listen to what was said next, an idea forming in my mind. I had caught sight of a large, thick metal pipe. It ran up from underground and wove up to a few feet above the ceiling. Once it got to the ceiling, other thick cables and pipes ran next to it through the length of the tunnel. I squinted as I scanned it for any weaknesses or signs of faults. I found nothing but the crimson tinge of rust. It wasn't abundant enough to worry me though. I started moving toward where it started in the ground, but was quickly pulled back by my shoulder.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dad's voice whispered.

I pointed out the pipe. "To see who's over there."

He shook his head. "No you're not. Way too dangerous. Who do you think you are, Catwoman?"

I resisted the urge to glare at him. "Please? It'll hold my weight, no problem." I tried.

My father shook his head. "Not a chance, squeaker." I felt a rush of emotion mist my eyes at the sound of the old pet name he used to call me by. I blinked it away and felt my stubborn determination flow through me.

"If we know who it is and what they're doing, we'll be able to come up with a plan. That man is obviously a scout or a guard of some kind, and I have a feeling it's something important." I pointed out.

Malcolm shook his head, about to keep up his protests when I cut him off before he could begin, grabbing his fingers in my hands beforehand. "Dad, please. You know I can do this. I've pulled off riskier things than this before. Every minute we waste arguing about this the more likely that one of my friends are up there dying right now. Please, Daddy"

Tears pricked my eyes again at the thought of my friends. I gazed into my father's eyes, and I could see the gears turn in his head as he thought it over. Malcolm turned his head and hissed an annoyed sigh out through his teeth. The action caused Dax's name to pulse in my memory. Malcolm gazed intensely into my odd colored irises and took my shoulders in his hands.

"You will not fall. You will be careful. You will not be seen. That's an order, young lady." His voice was iron seriousness, but in his eyes I could see he was worried.

I nodded and allowed a small smile to lift one of the corners of my mouth. "Yes, Father."

I turned on my heel and made my way over to the pipe. I lifted my hands up onto the pipe, preparing myself to heave my body up onto the metal pipe. I found it was unneeded, as I felt a pair of hands grip my hips and lift me up onto the pipe. I got my feet under me and crouched close to the pipe before looking down. Blue Eyes stood there, I smiled and lifted my hand to thank him. The blue eyed ape nodded and lifted his hands to sign, " _Be careful._ "

I lifted an arm and returned the gesture with, " _I will._ "

I crept along the pipping, taking it slow to make sure the metal wasn't going to groan and break under my small amount of weight. Blue Eyes followed me along on the ground until he reached his place back with the other apes. The pipe was being faithful so far, and hadn't even uttered a peep of protest. I let out a relieved breath and continued upward more easily. Once near the ceiling, I had just enough room to crouch as I moved forward. I slowed down, taking my time as I focused on moving forward. If I thought too persistently about falling, it would be increasingly hard not to lose my balance.

Caution radiated off me as I got closer and closer to the man. I could barely make out his features, but I didn't need to know what he looked like, all I needed to see was the gun in his hand. As I moved above the man, I moved very slowly, afraid that the pipe would groan if I reached a weak point in the metal seams. Thankfully, they held their silence and I was able to get past the man. I could hear a voice, though I couldn't hear what it was saying. There was an additional sound I was picking up, a static laced _ksshhhh_. A radio? I wasn't sure, but I was afraid of what it would mean if it indeed was. I was creeping closer to the platform, and I paused just before I could peak out. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and leaned forward, only allowing enough of my body out to see what was going on. I had to stifle a gasp when I immediately recognized one of the two men on the platform. His graying beige hair, dark, washed out blond stubble and large framed glasses prominently stating his identity.

Dreyfus.

He was sitting on a crate, slouching as he worked with something in his hands. I couldn't see what it was, but I didn't much care at the moment. It wasn't a gun, that was all I needed to know. But that didn't mean that weaponry wasn't present on the platform. Several guns were strewn about the floor. I didn't dwell long on the dark colored firearms, something more important caught my attention. There was a man near the left wall, his back turned to Dreyfus. I could see what he was sitting in front of, a green box. The man wore a headset, and when I noticed the microphone by his chin, and the antenna sticking up out of the device, I realized it wasn't a box at all.

It was a satellite radio.

The man spoke into it, and from the words he was saying, it seemed he had made contact. Contact with who, I wasn't sure. But I knew that this was not good. Whoever it was, this man was calling out to them for help. My heart started speeding up. They thought the apes attacked first. They thought it was our fault. That man was calling for my family's death. My blood ran cold. If he managed to reach someone, someone not here, someone out there besides the San Fransisco colony, it could be disastrous. Whoever had received this man's messages had a satellite communication device of some sort. They had to. And if they had something like that, who knew what else they had? Or how many they were. For all I know, _they_ could just be two or three people. Not nearly enough to worry me. But what if I was wrong?

I backed away, further into the darkness before turning myself around. This wasn't good. I kept my fingertips on the metal beneath me, not fully trusting myself not to fall anymore. My mind was racing at a mile a minute. I had to get back to Caesar, tell him and Father what was going on over here, so we could figure out how to carry on from here. Dreyfus and his two men were on the platform we needed to use, there was no way we could sneak past them. Not a chance at all.

I creeped back over to my friends, I dropped down onto the ground, my moccasins muting the sound of my small amount of weight hitting the concrete. Some of the apes jumped and almost hooted in surprise, but the apes closest to them shot their hands over their mouths before the sound could make it. I rubbed my lightly clenched fist in a circle in the middle of my chest before reaching my palm out, asking forgiveness for startling them. Maurice's large hand swiped over mine without hesitation.

"What did you find?" Dad whispered.

"It's not good. Dreyfus is there." I answered.

"Shit." He hissed.

"That's not the bad part. Dad, someone else is with him. They have a satellite radio." I paused. "I think they made contact."

"Contact? With who? There's no one out there. Is there?" He muttered the last part to himself.

"I don't know. He was calling for help. There could be soldiers on the way." My voice heightened in fright.Blue Eyes scooted closer to me, but he didn't touch me. That could have raised suspicion.

"What are we gonna do?" I gazed between Caesar and Malcolm, worry etched in my countenance.

Malcolm was silent for a while. He looked around for a moment, before his eyes landed on something in the corner. I didn't get the chance to see what it was before he started speaking again.

"Okay, take those stairs. They should still land you where you need to be. I'm going to go see what they're doing. Rain, you stay here." He decided.

"What? By myself?" I asked, suddenly feeling afraid of the inky dimness.

"You'll be safe. I'll come get you when this is all over." Something in his face told me not to argue.

I nodded, giving a quiet, "Okay."

Malcolm turned back to Caesar, gesturing with his eyes toward the staircase behind us. Caesar reached his arm out and placed his hand on Malcolm's shoulder. "Thank you." Caesar's voice was coarse and deepened as he tried to whisper but still keep his words audible. Blue Eyes reached out and put his hand on top of mine, which was laying on the floor as I crouched.

We shared the briefest moment of eye contact before he was pulled away, but the worry and love in his eyes was apparent to me. Malcolm moved to go to the platform, but before doing so he reached to me, cupping his hand over the crown of my skull and kissing my hairline. Malcolm slipped into the tracks and in less than ten seconds shots sent a barrage of cacophonous explosions through the tunnel. I jumped in fright and I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to keep my squeak of terror stifled.

"Wait! It's me! It's Malcolm, don't shoot!" I heard my father's voice ring out.

I peaked out to see Dad now standing up straight, walking toward the other man, who's gun was now lowered. I sighed in relief and glanced back at the staircase. The apes had stopped and were staring expectantly at me.

" _He's fine. Go, quick!_ " I signed.

I seen Caesar nod and in a flash they were out of sight. I turned back to peak out at what was going on with the humans. I couldn't push my curiosity away, and I made the idiotic decision to get back on the pipe. I hulled myself up, but I found myself wishing I had Blue Eyes to place me up there again. Getting up myself was no trouble at all, I just liked it when he did that. I was less cautious this time, I didn't have to be, there was no scout anymore, I could here him talking with my father up ahead, but that didn't mean they wouldn't hear me, so I made a point to be swift but silent. It helped to pretend I was out hunting with Caesar and Blue Eyes again.

"Hey, look who I found!" The guard said, jolting me out of my thoughts. I glanced down to see a third flashlight, this one moving toward us.

"I didn't know if you'd made it out!" I heard Dreyfus's voice. It sounded different than I remembered, but it was recognizable all the same. I watched as he hugged Malcolm, clapping him on the back. "How are you?"

Dreyfus turned away and hopped onto the platform, he then extended his arm to help Malcolm up. "We're gonna turn this all around."

"What's going on?" Malcolm asked as he pulled himself up.

"The apes, they're all over the tower." The guard said.

I heard the man with the radio say something about a signal, but the echoes in the tunnel distorted the words before they could reach my ears intact. I moved up slightly, getting closer so I could hear better. I pressed myself to the wall and peaked out.

"C4. Five pound blocks. We just started setting them." Dreyfus shinned his flashlight on little blocks lining the walls around twenty or thirty feet up. I counted at least four, but I knew there would be more. "We're gonna take down the whole tower. Blast 'me all at once."

I shuddered at the thought. I had seen people lit on fire before. I remember seeing a building explode after a gas pipe leak. I remembered the sound and the feeling of the powerful heat waves washing over me from a block away. I remembered the smell and the sounds of people screaming in fear. I had seen men running around, others chasing them, trying to get them to stop drop and roll before they burned to death. It hadn't helped at all. I remember the smoke burning my eyes as the building blazed. I remembered the sound of fire truck engines and their sirens and honking horns.

This could not be allowed to happen here. It wouldn't. Not if I could help it.

"...if you are receiving this signal, please state your position, over." The sound of the man with the radio got my attention. The demolition of the tower wasn't the only thing we had to worry about. If he actually made contact, we would be in a shit ton of trouble, as if we weren't already. I had to get that radio. But how? Odds are, that man wasn't going to turn his back long enough for me to grab it, as well as the headset and antenna. _Whoever will listen, please, lend me strength._ I prayed. I got myself onto the ground, enormously grateful that my moccasins sucked up noise so easily.

Malcolm had sat down on one of the crates, and was slowly putting together another block of C4. I waved my hand slightly, keeping my movements tight and close to my body. Thankfully, as Malcolm's thoughts wondered, so did his absentminded eyes, and he spotted me quickly. The stare he gave me spoke louder than words. I was in trouble. He didn't want me to be here, he wanted me to go back to the other platform, where my safety was ensured. But I wasn't going to do that. I hoped he remembered some of his signing as I lifted my hands to start gesturing.

" _Distraction. Please. Distraction._ "

I made sure to point at the radio so he could get an idea of what I needed him to do. Father stared at me again for a few seconds, and I feared he had no clue what I was trying to say. But right as I was going to try and convey what I needed him to do in a different way, I seen the slightest flick of his wrist. He understood. Thank God. I watched as Malcolm flicked his thumb over his nose, an action in males I didn't understand. Dreyfus, who sat beside Malcolm, passed him something else for him to put in his C4 block. Malcolm turned his gaze onto Dreyfus, and the look in his eye made me wonder what he was thinking about.

Malcolm turned his eyes away from the man and brought the C4 block to his mouth so he could nip off the black electrical tape wrapped around it. He stood up silently and walked, almost dazedly toward the scout, who was sat down on some crates working on his own C4 brick. I had to lean forward to see what he was doing and I watched him take up the gun that laid propped against a pipe beside the other man. Malcolm then bent over the man with the radio and murmured something softly into his ear. The man stared up at my father for a moment before reluctantly leaving his station and walking back toward the back of the platform, and I watched him crouch down and sift through some old crates or boxes.

Malcolm made his way to the edge of the platform and turned to face the men. His gun was held forward, the nose of the barrel pointed loosely. He wasn't trying to aggressively threaten them, but he was also trying to get a point across. Malcolm turned the gun onto the leader of the human colony.

"Dreyfus." Malcolm said, his voice had an almost soft tone to it. He was probably going to try to persuade them, I realized. Dreyfus looked up and froze for a moment before his gaze slowly traveled up from the gun's barrel up to meet Malcolm's eyes.

"Werner." Malcolm said a little louder, and the man at the back of the platform turned and stood, freezing in place as soon as he took in the scene. The man, Werner's, eyes widened and his mouth dropped a little.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you do this." Malcolm said, raising the gun more in Dreyfus's direction. "We need to give him a chance. We need to give him some time. He's up there right now."

Dreyfus's expression was one of muted stun. "Who's up there?" I barely heard him, but I read his lips well enough to know that I had not misheard him. My thoughts immediately flew back to the apes, my apes, my family. I wondered worriedly how Caesar's shoulder was faring. Even with the apes' help, which they would no doubt try to provide, Caesar was bound to feel the pain of the bullet. I hoped he was okay. I hoped he would make it. Blue irises the color of the sky flashed in my mind, and new worry, more aggressive and fierce than my previous worry rushed over me. Concern and fear for Blue Eyes picked up my heart's tempo, commanding it to beat on my ribs like a percussionist.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Dreyfus's words brought my thoughts crashing back to reality.

"No I've seen things, I've seen the way they are." Malcolm said. Dreyfus stood up slowly and walked sideways a bit. This made me tense, he was nearing the place I needed to get to. "They want what we want, to survive. They took care of my daughter, they protected her and she's happy now that's she's with them. They don't want a war."

"They're animals!" Dreyfus shouted. "They attacked us!"

I chose this moment of high tension to slink my way toward the radio set. I clung to the wall and kept myself as low as possible.

"Yeah because they thought we attacked them, because they think that he's dead but he's not- _SIT DOWN FINNEY!_ " Malcolm broke off with a shout. I froze and watched as the scout got back down on the crates he had previously been sitting on. "Sit down!" Malcolm repeated, growling lowly.

I shook off my initial shock and kept up my own task. I again felt a rush of gratefulness for my soundless moccasins. I was at the radio now, and I only glanced at the screen for a moment before closing the briefcase-like lock on it and gathered up the headset. I folded down the antennas and picked up the boxed up radio. Now time for the return trip.

"Now I know how this will sound-"

"No, I don't think you have any idea-" Dreyfus was cut off by the click of a gun. I paused and seen Malcolm cocking the gun threateningly at Dreyfus. As much as I wanted to watch to see what my father would do, I knew I didn't have time. If I was going to do what I intended, I needed to do it fast.

"You think stopping me will matter?" I heard Dreyfus's voice echo in the tunnels. "They're coming. Now we made contact to a military base up north. Alright they're already on they're way!"

The amount of self control it took not to gasp and freeze in place was titanous. But I forced myself to the edge of the platform. I quickly ducked behind the wall and bolted for the other platform.

"Dreyfus! What're you doing?!" A man yelled, I assumed either Werner or Finney. Something about the panicked tone in his voice spurred me to go faster. I hopped up onto the platform and slid slightly, running for a darkened corner by the pipe I had used to spy on the primary platform. No sooner than I did, a deafening blast rang out through the the tunnel. I screamed out in fear as the heat wave pushed me down onto the ground, and for a span of eight seconds I thought someone had thrown me into a heated oven and then started an earthquake. The shaking decreased measurably, and so did the heat, but it left a cold feeling on my skin. The earth trembled and my ears rang. My arms burned with scattered scratches from the harsh concrete.

A high pitched ringing echoed in my head, sounding very faint but at the exact same time sounding like I was standing on a large amplifier, the soft screech ringing out loudly in my ears. I could hear a soft sound, beneath the ringing. It was familiar, and I wanted to do something to acknowledge it, but what? My brain had been stunned to a stop, and now I was fighting to get it moving again. What was I supposed to be doing? It was important, whatever it was. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I heard the sound again, closer now, and again the familiarity of it gnawed at me. What was that sound? I was suddenly whipped out of my disoriented fog when I felt my body jerk. My eyes blinked. Blinked again and again as I was sat up. I looked up at whoever was moving me around and seen a man I knew I should know. Suddenly his name flashed in my memory, and my brain seemed to pulse for a moment as everything came rushing back over me. The bricks of C4 strapped to the walls. Dreyfus. The satellite radio. My family fighting many stories above my head.

"Dad..?" I murmured, confused all of a sudden. I didn't know what had me bewildered though.

"Rain!" He exclaimed. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" That sound. That sound had been his voice. He had been calling me.

I nodded and pushed my confusion aside. I glanced down and seen the radio by my side, and now realized my body had curled around it when I hit the floor. "I'm fine, Dad." I had to clear my throat and repeat myself, my voice failing me a little bit.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He said, taking my upper arm in his hold, ready to pull me to my feet. I lightly yanked myself out of his grip and shook my head.

"No, I have something I need to do here. You go. I'll meet you at the surface. Go see if they're okay, please." I said.

Malcolm stared into my odd eyes in the gloom, gauging me. After about ten or so seconds of silence, Malcolm sighed defeatedly. "Do you even realize how very much like your mother you are? I could never change her mind once she set it to something either." He paused, and I worked to push down tears. Those words meant so much to me. "Whatever you're going to do, be safe and get yourself up there. You have twenty minutes. If I don't see you by then, I'm coming back for you, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay, Daddy."

He held my eyes a moment longer than necessary, then he took me by surprise and bundled me into his arms. I accepted the embrace without hesitation, clinging to my father for strength. I was overwhelmed with emotion, like I had been when I first discovered the truth about our shared blood. I was so happy, so relieved and overjoyed that I had a father, it had an almost desperate edge to it. When he released me, he pressed a kiss to my forehead, holding me there with his mouth just under my hairline. When he pulled back, he turned to leave, but I took ahold of his arm. He turned back and have me an almost expectant look.

"Make sure they're okay. Please." I felt a surprise prickle in my eyes as tears started to brim.

Dad nodded and gave me a reassuring pat. "I'll see you in twenty minutes."

With that, he left, using the stairs he had sent the apes away with. I watched after him until his footsteps were no longer audible. I gave a determined sigh and set up the radio, pulling the headset over my ears. _Time to get to work._

**(3rd POV, on the top of the tower)**

A cloud of fire disrupted the fight between two apes fighting for rank of king. The blast came as a huge surprise to everyone. Blue Eyes felt a strong stream of hot air blow up from the hollowed out tower, the earth beneath his feet rumbled and the air was filled with the groaning protests of the yellow metal objects that reminded him of trees. The metal trees growled out their protests above Blue Eyes' head, and he heard the warning chuffed out by his uncle Maurice as he ushered him and his other uncle to the side. Blue Eyes barely dodged getting crushed by the large yellow tree and fell on his side. Blue Eyes grunted with a wince as the unnatural gravel dug into his side.

He looked up to see Maurice bending over the edge of the pillar they shared, and seen his uncle Luca pulling himself up over the side. Blue Eyes pulled himself to his feet and started hooting nervously and took hold of the ground as he felt tremors beneath his feet. His memory took him to the last earthquake he had felt, to Rain. She was down there. She was down at the bottom of the tower and an explosion just raced up from the bottom of the tower. His heart raced in his chest as he thought of his Rain. He wanted nothing more right now then to fling himself down there and make sure she was safe, but at the same time, he was torn. He knew he needed to stay to support his father, but if Rain needed him...

The calls of his fellow apes shook him from his thoughts. He needed to focus on here and now if he ever hoped to see his Rain again, as well as see his friends home safe. Blue Eyes looked down at the destruction the blast had caused, and felt dismay chill his blood. Everywhere, apes lay trapped under sheet and scrap metal, some moaning in pain, others unnervingly still. Blue Eyes quickly found his father, not at all un-expectantly, helping the wounded, forgetting all about the death battle he had just been locked in. Blue Eyes felt a rush of admiration for his father at that moment. He wanted to be like him. He wanted to be proud of himself. He also wanted Rain to be proud of him the way his mother was proud of Caesar.

Blue Eyes hurriedly made his way down to his father, hooting at him almost urgently as he helped Caesar lift a piece of broken sheet metal off of three chimps. Shots rang out in the air, and one of the newly freed chimpanzees suddenly shrieked and fell backwards. The sight made Blue Eyes remember when he had watched his father fall from one of the spiraling stairs of his Home Tree just days ago. More shots rang out, and behind them, Blue Eyes seen Koba. He quickly hid himself behind a crimson colored pillar. Blue Eyes hooted at his father, urging him to join him.

When Caesar was beside him, Blue Eyes glanced to his left, and the objects he seen put an idea in his head. Blue Eyes glanced at his father to see him leaning over to get a look at where the angry bonobo was standing, still shooting at them. Blue Eyes hopped onto a narrow platform and picked up a pile of red metal rods all tied together. Out of the corner of his eye he was aware of his uncles Rocket and Luca and Maurice coming to join his side. Blue Eyes hefted the log-like metal above his head and threw it down, aiming the nose of the metal toward his former uncle. The metal barely missed hitting Koba right on the head, but their bindings came apart when it hit the ground, and long metal rods spewed over the ground and rolled off Koba's back.

The bonobo screamed in rage and pointed his gun at the four apes. Blue Eyes jumped to the side, hitting the ground as fast as he could. He turned his head to look back and gasped when he seen Maurice had fallen onto his side. The orangutan quickly propped himself up and his hand went to his cheek, blood dripping down his face. Uncle Maurice had been hit, Blue Eyes realized, and felt a hit rush of anger toward Koba. _How could he do this to us?_ Blue Eyes thought as he went to his uncle's side. Shots were still wringing out when he got there. Blue Eyes could feel bullets whipping the air around his fur, and he couldn't help but wonder if Rain's new aunt would have to pry a bullet out of him next.

The bullets ceased with a bellow Blue Eyes instantly recognized as his father's. The young prince looked down to see Caesar had bowled Koba over and they had fallen down to a lower floor of the broken tower. What caused Blue Eyes' heart to skip for a moment was the fact that he could only see one of the two apes who had fallen. But he felt a cool wave of relief flow over him as he recognized the visible ape as his father. But where was Koba? The sound of the ape's voice as he hooted solved the question, and led Blue Eyes' irises to the middle of the tower, hanging precariously off the edge of a metal bearing rod was Koba.

Koba struggled to hang on with his other arm, but the wound he had sustained during his previous fight with Caesar was seeming to be giving him trouble. Blue Eyes watched as Koba struggled to make his way up from the edge. If he fell from there, he would surely die. The bonobo's pained growls echoed through the air. Blue Eyes seen movement on the tower, and seen his father walking toward the place where Koba was struggling to get to. Koba paused when he took notice of Caesar, standing above him.

"Ape. Not. Kill. Ape." Koba's words were carried on the wind to Blue Eyes' ears, and he felt another rush of anger. How dare he contradict Caesar's most sacred law? Especially when Caesar had the power to end him here and now. Koba's audacity infuriated Blue Eyes.

Caesar reached down slowly, taking the ape's forearm in his grasp. Caesar started slowly pulling him up, and the action surprised Blue Eyes. What was his father doing? His attention was diverted when Maurice tried to stand, and he seen his uncle Rocket move to help his friend. Blue Eyes held the large orangutan's shoulder, offering his strength to his elder as they watched this moment. Caesar's next action would determine all their lives. Blue Eyes felt his father's eyes on him for a moment as the first king scanned over the crowd around them.

"You.." Caesar's voice was barely audible to the adolescent chimp, but he could make out the words either way. "Are not. Ape."

He let Koba drop.

" _No_!" Koba's long, dragged out scream echoed. His body was flipped when it hit a hanging cable and he landed on one of the yellow metal trees that had lodged itself between the walls of the hollowed tower. Blue Eyes could still hear his former uncle's last screams as the yellow colored metal crashed down, folding in on itself as it fell, encasing the ape Blue Eyes once respected.

Silence.

Blue Eyes watched his father as the older chimp straightened his back, assuming that regal pose Blue Eyes had used to try to imitate when he was younger. Caesar turner to look up at the apes. His apes, once again. Rocket's hoot rang out first, followed by another by the same burly grey chimp. More hoots rang out, and Blue Eyes didn't hesitate to let his own voice join the chorus. Caesar had won. They were under his rightful control again. More energetic hoots to Blue Eyes' left collected his attention, and he seen three apes drawing attention to something out in the streets.

Blue Eyes recognized the bodies of apes and he immediately found himself searching out the masses for one certain human female. But then his memory kicked in, and he realized Rain had been at the bottom of the tower the last he seen her. He immediately let out an alarmed bark and swooped down the levels of the tower, hastily following the other apes as they rushed to find their families. She had to be okay, he kept telling himself. _But what if she's not?_ _What if she's hurt and she needs me?_ A voice in the back of his head kept saying. He growled to himself as he continued to make his way down the tall tower.

**(Rain's POV)**

I struggled to make my way out into the distant light while carrying the suddenly heavy radio set. I had done what I had needed to do, now I just had to get out of the building. I huffed as I pulled up the mobile radio, becoming increasingly irritated with the bulky thing. I paused, holding my breath as I heard a very familiar sound. Apes. Females. _Cornelia_. Her name flashed in my mind. They sounded a bit far off, but I could hear them none the less. New energy collected in me, and I quickly scrambled my way out into the open air.

As soon as I got out, I took in my surroundings. I was at the base of tower on the stone steps, looking out into the street filled with apes. I scanned the crowd for my friends, but before I could find them, a voice snatched up my attention.

"Rain!" I immediately recognized that husky voice, and whirled around to see Blue Eyes standing a few feet away from me, his eyes wide and mouth parted slightly as a few soft pant-hoots came from him. I sucked in a slow gasp of air as our eyes met, and the next thing I know, I was running. And then I was feet away from the top of the stairs, in Blue Eyes' arms. He lifted me up into the air and spun me around, a happy laugh escaping me. When he set me on my feet again, he crushed me to his chest. I squeezed him back, pushing my face into his hard chest. The relief I felt pulsing through me was momentously overwhelming.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I asked frantically, pulling back only enough to search his chest and face for injuries. Blue Eyes didn't answer, just smiled that smile of his that I loved and took my cheek in his palm, pulling me up slightly as he dipped down and kissed me. I accepted the kiss right away, returning it eagerly as my heart pumped and pulsed energetically. The amount of love I had for this chimp overwhelmed me. I wanted nothing more than to stay like this, pressed against him and suffocating on his aesthetic kiss.

When we parted, we were both panting. One look into those clear blue orbs and I was home. My eyes fluttered closed as our foreheads came together. He was safe. Blue Eyes was safe. And I was safe, I was in his arms, of course I was safe. I breathed in, and I heard his breath in sync with mine, and a smile softened my face.  _Blue Eyes_.

We parted again, and I found myself not to be able to stop smiling up at him. "I'm so glad you're okay!" I sighed.

"You're beautiful." Was all he said in return. My cheeks warmed slightly and I glanced down bashfully, not being able to control my smile. The hand that had previously been cupping my cheek moved to hook a finger under my chin.

His smile was gone all of a sudden and he took a step back, sky colored eyes scanning me. "Sure you're not, hurt?"

I nodded, fingers going up to hold the wrist that supported the finger still holding up my chin. "I'm fine now."

Suddenly I realized why we were all here, and a concerned frown on my face. "What happened up there?"

"Caesar won. Koba is dead." He answered.

"He's dead?" I whispered, feeling a trickle of sadness. I knew I shouldn't of been sad, but I was. Koba did something very wrong, so I should be relieved he can't do anymore wrong, shouldn't I? But while he committed wrongdoings, his death eradicated the chance he had to do anymore good things. Harley was one of them. Harley just lost his father, I realized. That had to be it, Koba's son was the reason I was saddened by his departure.

"Rain?" I was snapped out of my thoughts by Blue Eyes. I met his eyes as he lifted a hand to sign, " _What's wrong?_ "

I looked down, then back up. "Little Harley. He lost his father today." I murmured.

I heard a small intake of breath, and heard it hitch in Blue Eyes' throat. "Rain..." He said, his voice low with sadness. I looked up at the handsome male and watched him sign. " _I know how much he means to you. We'll help the kid._ "

I nodded, but my attention was diverted by a familiar voice bellow out the words, "Leave him!"

Blue Eyes and I turned to see Caesar, his back turned away from us. He walked slowly toward a figure coming out of the shadows of the building, and I recognized the form of my father, hands up to show his surrender. I shared a glance with the blue eyed prince before we both started walking toward our parents, I with the satellite radio now in my hand. When we got close, we paused at a respectful distance and started listening in on their conversation.

"...people are coming, soldiers. You have to leave now, everyone-" Malcolm trailed off when Caesar shook his head.

"Caesar if you don't go, it'll be all out war." He persisted.

"War has, already, begun." Caesar replied. "Ape started war. Human... Human will not forgive. You must go. Before fighting begins. I am sorry. My friend."

Malcolm paused before answering. "I thought we had a chance."

"I did too."

The two males shared a sad smile before Caesar reached up and hooked his hand over Malcolm's shoulder and brought their foreheads together. I smiled, knowing that that meant Caesar really trusted my father now. When they parted, I seen they were about to turn away, and that's when I stepped in, clearing my throat to get their attentions.

"I don't mean any disrespect when I say this but...you're both wrong." I said.

Everyone seemed to freeze for a moment, and I could feel the confusion of both of them and Blue Eyes as he looked down at me in bewilderment.

"What?" Malcolm said.

I smiled and held up the folded up radio for them to see. "Remember when I said I had to do something down there?"

Malcolm nodded.

"Well, I figured out how to work this thing and...I got ahold of the same people they did and..." I trailed off again, the shock of the experience still fresh. I took a deep breath to soothe myself.

"I knew one of the people over there." I continued, before getting cut off.

"Wait, what- what do you mean you knew someone there? Who was it?" Malcolm said.

"Did you ever meet my mother's nephew, Trevor?" I asked.

Malcolm hesitated, but I knew he had when recognition flared in his face. "You found Trevor?"

I nodded. "I recognized his last name, and he remembers me from when I was little. I had to lie, but I got him to call off his troops. No one's coming anymore." I finished.

"His troops? What do you mean his troops?" Malcolm said, taking a step toward me.

"His title is General. He calls most of the shots where he is." I answered.

"No one, is coming?" Caesar repeating, walking closer to where Blue Eyes and I stood.

I smiled and shook my head. "Did I do okay?" I asked, glancing between my leader and my father.

The two shared a glance, and then looked back at me. Caesar moved foreword and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Did good, Rain." Caesar's slightly hoarse voice said. My smile widened, immensely happy to have gained Caesar's praise.

"Atta girl, squeaker." My father smiled, holding his arms out for me. I smiled and Caesar moved aside and I zipped forward and hugged him, catching myself by surprise when I breathed out, "Daddy!"

"Hey, what'd we miss?" We all froze. I looked up at Dad, confused, to see my confusion reflected in his expression. We looked to the right, near where Malcolm had emerged to see Alex and Ellie making their way out and toward us.

Malcolm let me go. "What are you two doing here?" His voice strained with worry.

"We wanted to help. We felt useless just sitting back at the house twiddling our thumbs." Ellie replied.

"I kept you two there so you would be safe. Things could have gotten really bad. If anything happened to either of you I don't know what I would do." Malcolm lightly scolded them while he hugged them.

"But things didn't seem to get too bad, did they? I mean, they all look relieved." Alex said.

I almost winced. If only he knew. Alex caught sight of me and jogged toward us. "You guys okay?" He asked when he got here, looking between Blue Eyes, Caesar and I. Blue Eyes nodded in reply.

"Okay, that's great, but that still doesn't totally fix the problem. I mean, what about the people here?" Ellie pointed out after Malcolm caught her and Alex up.

"Well...We could always say Carver did it.." I said softly, remembering when we had found Carver's body by the truck. I suppressed a shudder, now knowing exactly what an ape could do to the human body.

"I hate to lie, but the truth isn't going to help this situation." I added.

"You know... She could be onto something." Ellie said. "We can tell the truth as best the circumstance will allow, and we'll replace the parts that would stir up suspicion."

"Caesar, are you okay with this?" Malcolm asked.

We all watched Caesar's reaction as he thought about this. This decision could change all our lives forever, for good or for bad, I wasn't sure. The suspense was almost palpable, a looming beacon of uncertainty. I tried to make the soothing breath I took invisible, but I wasn't sure how well I did that exactly.

Caesar slowly started nodding. "I believe. This, is what we must do. To protect, all of our families."

All of our shoulders fell in relief.

"But wait." Alexander cut off Malcolm when he started to speak. "There's still something else we need to clear up. Where's Rain going?"

I sucked in a breath. I had forgotten all about that. I suddenly felt very frightened. Frightened that I wouldn't be able to return to the forest. Frightened that my father would tell me to come live with him here. Frightened that he'd tell me not to. I wanted to stay with the apes. I wanted to stay with Blue Eyes. I wanted to stay with my brother's grave. I wanted to be back in the ape village. I wanted to be happy.

"Where do you wanna go?" Ellie asked me.

I gasped, not knowing why I hadn't expected my opinion to be asked. I didn't know how to answer without hurting someone, so I decided to just get it over with and say what I was thinking. I took a deep breath. "I lost my home the moment my brother's heart stopped beating." I turned to look Caesar in the eye. "You gave me a new one. I can't ever show just how grateful I am for that. I'd like to return to it." I looked down, feeling emotion welling up in my eyes. "But I'd... I'd understand if you didn't think that was best." My voice cracked.

I was met with silence. But then I felt hands on my upper arms, and I looked up into Caesar's weathered eyes. "I said I would, protect you. I am going to, do that, the best I can. If you wish to, come back with us, you'll have a, place in the village."

I felt tears brimming, and gave a smile. I knew he and Blue Eyes would make sure I was safe. I nodded and felt fingers wrap all the way around one of my hands. I turned slightly and looked up at Blue Eyes, who nodded reassuringly and squeezed my hand, giving a small smile. I returned the smile took the chance at lacing our fingers for a moment while Caesar dropped one hand and moved the other to my shoulder.

"Come on, Dad, you can't ask her to stay. Look at her, she's happy with them." I turned to see Alex looking up at our father, he returned his son's gaze. "Do you really want her to go back to being the scared little girl she was? I mean, she pretty much had a panic attack when she realized she was in the city, for God's sake."

I seen the look on Malcolm's face and immediately felt guilty. He wanted me with him and Alex and Ellie. But I couldn't. I couldn't live here, I didn't belong here. Not in the slightest. But Malcolm seemed to understand that, for he nodded and started speaking.

"I know. Lana always told me about how no one could ever keep you out of the trees back in Washington. I know that's where you belong." He said. I couldn't help the little giggle that escaped me when he mentioned my old home.

"Thanks, Daddy." I said.

Malcolm suddenly smiled widely. "I've been waiting years to hear you call me that." I couldn't help the little 'awe' that I cooed out as I walked up and hugged him. He returned the gesture right away and hugged me to him, and very soon pulled Alex into the embrace with us. I adjusted myself and stepped up on my tippy toes so I could sling an arm around Alex's neck. With one last squeeze from all of us, we let go.

"You sure she'll be okay?" Malcolm asked, seeming to just want to hear the words.

"Yes." Caesar answered.

"She'll be fine." Blue Eyes spoke up as I took my place by his side again, another small smile exchanging between us.

"Damn," Alexander suddenly said, a sad smirk on his face. "I just get my sister back and now she's going on a permanent camping trip." He said humorously.

"Aww look, he misses me already," I cooed teasingly.

Alex mocked a scoff. "Yeah, whatever Jane Porter."

I paused. "Isn't she that girl who...Oh! I see what you did there- That's not funny." I said, deadpan.

Alex huffed out a laugh. "Yes it is."

"It is not." I disagreed.

"Yeah, it is."

"Dad, tell him it's not funny." I said, turning to look at Malcolm.

He chuckled and crossed arms lightly across his chest. "Actually, it's kind of funny."

"Who's side are you on?" I asked, not sure whether to laugh for feel offended. The first of which wouldn't help my case.

"The funny side." He smirked.

"You know what?" I said. "You are no help."

"Would you three knock it off?" Ellie laughed.

I laughed and leaned back a little, accidentally pressing the back of my shoulder into Blue Eyes. His hands went up as if to stop me from falling, and I heard him let out a breathy laugh when our eyes met. I felt butterflies burst into being in my belly when I gazed into those bright pools of blue as the adults around us chuckled at my conversation with my family. When the moment was over, I noticed Caesar's smile fall and his gaze went out to the side, toward where the rest of his apes were still reuniting with their loved ones. I seen the large form of Maurice just visible over the ridge of the stairs, directing a figure toward us. I gasped happily when I recognized the figure, and placed a hand on Blue Eyes' shoulder to point the ape out to him.

He froze, but soon followed his father as Caesar moved toward Cornelia. I stayed back, letting them have their family time. I was very glad to see that the gentle queen showed no signs of injury, and I was relieved to see little Haze in her arms as well.

"That's his...mate? Is that the word they use?" Alex asked.

I nodded. "She's his wife."

"They have marriage?" Ellie asked.

I nodded, remembering the one I had seen a few weeks before. I hadn't known either of the newly weds, but I did get to watch, along with most of the village. "It's a bit different than human marriage, though."

"How so?" Alex asked, his curiosity echoing be in his voice.

"The ceremony is different, much shorter, and there aren't as many expectations and such. Caesar or one of the council members announces the bond and that's basically it. There's a celebration afterwards, too." I explained.

"That sounds so much less complicated. They got a good system." Alex commented. I hummed in agreement.

Just then, I got a surprise when Haze seemed to spot me, and jumped from Cornelia's arms with a squeak and started knuckling toward me. I jogged lightly to meet him and kneeled down as the young chimp threw himself into my arms. I stood up once he was in my grasp and listened to his urgent little 'imp, imp' noises as he pushed his face as far into my hair as far he could. I cooed to him and rubbed his back to try to calm him down. When he pulled back, I felt him wrap his little fingers in my hair as he gazed up at me with concerned confusion.

" _Rain okay? I missed you._ " He signed.I didn't even get the chance to reply before Haze threw his top half at me again and squeezed me as hard as he could. I got a little shock as to how strong the child already was, but I brushed it aside and hugged him back.

"I missed you too." I said into his fur. I glanced up to see Cornelia approaching, a smile on her face. I returned it but was surprised to be interrupted by a yawn, which I quickly covered. It seemed the exhaustion of the day had hit me, but I quickly shook it off. Now wasn't the time to be fatigued. We weren't home yet, we weren't safe yet.

" _Rain, are you harmed?_ " She signed.

I shook my head. " _Are you_?" The queen shook her head in reply.

" _Caesar says you were busy these past few days._ "

" _Helped the best I could_." I answered. " _I'm glad you're all okay_."

Cornelia's shoulders drooped slightly. " _I only wish all of us could return. Many apes lost their lives these past few days_."

I couldn't help but gasp. I had forgotten about the casualties the dawn had unveiled. I couldn't help the tears that stung my eyes, though I wouldn't let them fall. I'd save them for later. How many of my friends had I lost? Who would never return to the sanctuary of our waterfalls and Redwoods? I bit my lip to stop the trembling before it could start. I gasped in surprise when Cornelia suddenly embraced me, careful of her child in my arms. I held my tears back as I spared an arm to hug her back with. I didn't want to cry in front of Haze, I didn't want to scare him. When she pulled back, I gave a small sniff and got ahold of my emotions. I handed Haze back to his mother, just as our two families walked up behind us.

"Rain, we have to go, really soon. I have to make sure every one in the colony is okay." Malcolm said.

A thought came to me. "Dreyfus is dead, isn't he?"

My father nodded. "Who's going to take over here now?" I asked.

He shrugged. "We'll vote, probably. That's how it works."

I looked down. "I'll miss you." I said softly.

"I'm gonna miss you too, squeaker." With that, he pulled me into a tight hug. I got on my tippy toes and closed my eyes, wondering how many times I had hugged him with the ignorance of a single mothered child. He was there, all that time. He was a good dad, even if I didn't realize he was being my dad at the time. When we parted, Alex started bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"My turn, I want a hug too." He faked a whine. I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck. When we pulled back, he ruffled my hair, sending it sticking up.

"Alex!" I whined, reaching up to smooth it down again. "You suck."

All I got was laughter from the whole group. Ellie came in for a hug and I returned it, glad that I didn't have to strain to her height. She gave me a squeeze before letting go. "Your mother would be so proud of you." She murmured.

I let out a small laugh and moved a piece of hair from my face. "Thank you."

"Caesar..." Cornelia's calm voice had me turning my head to catch her signing.

" _The poor girl just found her blood. You can't make her come back with us only to never see them again. Surely we can work something out?_ "

I was immensely touched by her concern. She could see what was in the back of my mind, and for that I was amazed and grateful. Cornelia's kindness never ceased to humble me.

" _We...will work something out._ " Caesar answered before turning to me. " _I don't know how this will work, but we'll make it work._ "

I paused. "..Really?"

"What?" Alex asked, and I suddenly remembered his signed vocabulary was very limited.

"Um..he said-well-..." For some reason, I couldn't figure out how to word what Cornelia had just done.

"I am not..one to separate, families." Caesar said, speaking where I seemed to not be able to.

"What Father is saying," Blue Eyes cut in. "Is that, we'll figure out, a way for you to...visit her." I couldn't help but feel a spritz of happy pride at how well Blue Eyes' verbal speech had been getting. I also felt a splash of admiration at his voice. I don't think I would ever stop loving the way his voice sounded.

"You would do that?" Malcolm asked, a grateful tone ringing strong in his voice.

Caesar nodded. " _If Blue Eyes and I were in the circumstance you and Rain are in, I would want to see him as much as possible._ " He signed. Caesar flicked his eyes between me and Malcolm pointedly, and I interpreted what the king had signed.

I continued to interpret what Caesar signed next. " _It would be best to give both sides time to calm and recover before meeting. Perhaps three months?_ "

Malcolm and Ellie exchanged a glance. "We can do that."

"We really have to get going, I need to see where everyone is." Malcolm said."Three months. Meet at the bridge?"

I looked to Caesar and he nodded. " _Noon_."

I turned back and smiled at them, stepping back, closer to Caesar's family. "Ninety days, noon." I said.

"Hey, Blue Eyes," Alex said. "Watch out for my little sister for me, okay?"

My brows rose at that, and I felt touched. I had a big brother who cared about me...it was a nice feeling, one I had missed. I heard Blue Eyes grunt, and I assumed he nodded. Alex then turned his grey eyes on me, and gave me a smile. I returned it as Ellie started pulling Malcolm away reluctantly. We said our farewells one last time, and I turned back to the four apes beside me, waiting for what would happen next.

"Rain?" Little Haze's voice rang. He jumped into my arms again, and I caught him with little trouble. " _Those were the same people from before. Who are they?_ "

I looked down at his little eyes, and noticed a change in the irises. They were turning from the pure blue I thought they would stay as, to a leafy hue. It seemed he would have green eyes when he was older. " _My father. My brother."_ I answered his question.

" _He got smaller. What made him change so much? Where has he been all this time?_ " The child signed.

A small smile lifted my face. He though I meant Dax. For some reason I found that adorable. " _Different brother._ " I corrected.

" _How many brothers do you have?_ " He signed, and I let out a giggle.

I shrugged and signed. " _Just one._ "

He looked confused at this. " _But_ -"

" _Enough, Haze._ " Cornelia signed amusedly, taking back her child.

"Just asking." He whined, receiving only a kiss on the head from Cornelia.

Caesar had turned away, and was watching the apes mingle amongst themselves. Suddenly the happy air that had formed around us lifted, and the solemnity of the situation returned. I followed Caesar's gaze and looked out at the apes in the street. They were still rejoicing with their loved ones. But not all, I noticed. Some were dwelling to the sides, heads bowed as they mourned their loses. I felt a rush of sadness and grief flow over me. Cornelia was right, we had lost many. I noticed Aria among the crowd, her white Obas mask gleaming in the dawn light as she made her way through the crowd, checking over the males who had been apart of this. I felt a rushed of determination. If Caesar would allow, I would help the Obas in anyway I could.

But I seen now was not the time. I noticed Maurice beckoning me from the foot of the stairs and looked pointedly from him to Cornelia, before I inclined my head and raised a supplicating palm to her. She swiped it and nudged me in the large orangutan's direction. I smiled and nodded in thanks before making my leave, heading straight for Maurice.

He put a hand on my shoulder and scanned me over. When he asked me if I was okay, I only answered with a gasp when I realized he was bleeding. There was a nick in his left cheek, and red blood was dripping from it. Worry and irrational fear filled me.

" _You're hurt!_ " I couldn't help but sign as I exclaimed.

He only smiled and told me to be calm, that he was fine. I knew he was right, the scar wouldn't even be visible unless you were looking for it after it had healed completely, but I still hated seeing him hurt. I didn't get a chance to reply before Maurice directed me to turn around, and when I did, I seen all eyes were at the top of the stairs. Caesar stood with Cornelia and Blue Eyes beside him, with little Haze cupped in Cornelia's arm. Apes, only males I noticed, stood tall on their hind legs, slowly approaching the stairs before bowing down, all of them offering up their palms to Caesar, prostrating before him and paying their supplicating homage. I moved behind Maurice as the large, hulking ape stepped foreword and I joined the females to the side.

I watched as Blue Eyes and Cornelia stepped down the stairs, Blue Eyes standing tall next to his mother and brother. I couldn't help but admire how tall and handsome he looked, his scars catching the blazing sun as it rose. He took on a rugged, almost dangerous look with the way his fur was tussled up, and the way his expression shone with contemplation. He looked good. Really good. I watched as Caesar turned his body to look back, most likely to see where my father and aunt and brother had vanished to, before he turned back and followed his family in descending the stairs. Apes parted like the Red Sea in his wake, and started reaching their palms out farther. Caesar swiped a few of their palms, but then he paused, and raised his arm, hand splayed out, and moved it from his right side to his left, a long range equivalent of coming and swiping each individual hand.

A moment of absolute silence befell us all. Caesar let it hold us in its imposing embrace for a few seconds more, before he raised both his arms, regaining the attention of any who's eyes or minds had wondered.

"We will. Return, to our home!" Caesar's deep, slightly hoarse voice boomed. "But first! We must, find! Our dead and wounded!"

The apes were still for a moment before soft hoots of agreement and consent rang out into the sun warmed air.

" _Those with the worst wounds stay here, Obas treat they best they can, and when we get back home they will treat again. With better medecine_." Caesar signed. " _When we have collected our own, we go home. Worst wounded stay here. Some strongest stay to guard. Find my council members or I, and they will assign your duty_."

The apes started grouping together, figuring out where to go, what to do. I lifted my head and found Aria in the crowd again, I called her name and started making my way through the mass of bodies toward her. She barked once and let out a few hoots in my direction and met me in the middle.

" _Are you injured, child?_ " She asked.

I shook my head and allowed her to pat me down, searching for wounds even though I said there were none. She grunted with concern when she examined my arms and legs, as well as my cheek.

" _Just scratches_." She signed.

" _May I make a request?_ " I asked.

Aria gave a grunt, encouraging me to continue.

" _I would like to help find our apes. And if you would allow, I'd like to help treat them_."

Aria stared at me, contemplating my words. She lifted her hands to reply, when we were interrupted by a familiar bark. We turned to see Caesar approaching quickly.

" _Caesar? Do you think this is good idea?_ " Aria signed, apparently believing he had seen our signing.

Caesar nodded. " _Need all available hands. If she wants to help, send her with Rocket's group_."

With that, Caesar turned and barked out a hoot, raising his arm in beckon. An answering call was heard and I saw Rocket hastily coming forward. The ape king explained that I would be helping as well. Rocket looked as though he wanted to question the decision but one look from Caesar was all it took, and Rocket was waving me to follow him. I hastily and respectfully bid farewell to Aria and Caesar, and they watched me follow quickly after Rocket. He explained to me that we would be looking for any survivors that might still be in the building they had raided.

I was happy to find that Blue Eyes was apart of Rocket's group, as well as Maurice and Luca and Wes, the gorilla. There were also two bonobos and an orangutan and a chimpanzee I didn't know among them. But I greeted politely and introduced myself while we began going toward the building we were meant to search. The bonobos were Kai and Devon, the orangutan was called Lenny and the chimp was Vince. They were polite enough, but Lenny seemed nervous around me. I knew it was most likely because I was human, the other three seemed careful around me too. But Blue Eyes, Wes, and the rest were fine. I felt better about that. They knew me, they knew I would never do anything to hurt anyone, and hopefully these new four would know that too.

I soon discovered that the building they had raided had been City Hall, where many had made their homes once the building had been converted to serve that cause. I remembered this building, this had been where I had had to go when Dreyfus summoned me to his office. My stomach involuntarily tightened at the memory of that experience. I had been so nervous when confronting him because of the rumors I had recently overheard. I had heard two people speaking about Dreyfus, and they said that since his wife and two sons were taken by the Flu, Dreyfus had been struggling with alcoholism and abuse toward women. Now that I thought about it, I wasn't so sure how true that was, I mean, my mom seen him a lot of the time, and she was always fine.

When we reached the stairs, Luca felt it would be easier to cover more ground if we split up and searched the building in pairs, and bring any survivors we found to the central floor. We paired off, and I somehow ended up with Blue Eyes. We were each given a floor to search, Blue Eyes and I took the second floor. We soon departed, branching off to comb through our designated areas. Blue Eyes and I started up the stairs. When we reached the curve, and the white linoleum tile floor was in sight, Blue Eyes stopped.

I paused and looked at his face with confusion. The ape's countenance was back to his familiar expressionless mask. But his eyes betrayed him. Whatever was going through his mind, showed in the pain swimming in his eyes. I frowned and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, quirking my head slightly when he jumped, startled. I lifted a hand to my chin to sign, " _What's wrong?_ "

Blue Eyes held my gaze for a moment, and I knew within seconds that he wasn't going to say anything.

" _Please tell me._ " I signed quickly before he could brush me off. Blue Eyes and I had another staring contest, and I hoped he would trust me enough to tell me what was hurting him. Blue Eyes heaved a sigh and looked away.

" _Koba threw Ash off that balcony._ " He signed.

I gasped. _Koba_ killed Ash? All I had known was that he was dead. The thought had never come to me to wonder exactly how Ash had died. I looked down, feeling sick. Why had he thrown Ash off the balcony? What did he do? Did Koba just do it to be malicious? _No, he did a lot of bad things these past few days, but Koba wouldn't have killed a teenager just for fun._ I thought. I honestly couldn't believe Koba was all bad. There must have been a reason he acted the way he did. But I knew I would never find out.

It wasn't until Blue Eyes hugged me did I realize two tears had fallen down my cheeks. I accepted it and sniffed, trying to control my emotions. It didn't take long, luckily, and Blue Eyes drew back when I gave myself a deep breath, to soothe my nerves. Unsurprisingly, it didn't do much. When I locked gazes with Blue Eyes again, I knew my sorrow reflected his. I broke eye contact first, and looked down at my feet.

"Let's go. There could be somebody hurt over there." I murmured softly. Blue Eyes nodded, and lead me up the last remaining stairs.

We skirted through the wreckage, finding no one alive. There were no apes among the corpses, but I was glad I had never seen the humans that lay in eternal repose. That was a sigh of relief to me. Even if I had seen one of my old bullies, I would have been saddened. On our way back to the stairs, Blue Eyes paused again, and walked over to the drywall railing near the staircase. He leaned over and stared down at the floor. I knew exactly what he was doing. I slowly approached, and stood beside him as I leaned down, our arms touching. I don't know what I was expecting to see, but it sure as hell wasn't a giant hole in the floor.

But that was what I seen. A hole in the floor, right where Ash's body must've broken through. I didn't know that that was possible. Ash wasn't that heavy, the floor shouldn't have broken. Unless it was weakened already, Ash's body should have stayed on the cold linoleum floor. The thought caused me to suppress a shudder. We couldn't leave him down there. He should get to have his final resting place in the forest, where he belonged, not lying on some cold, dark abandoned human basement. Just as I thought that, something caused my body to freeze entirely. I was about to peg what I had thought I had just seen as a trick of the mind, when it happened again.

Movement.

When I looked closer, I could see a lighter patch of darkness down in the middle of the hole. _And it moved._ I gasped when I seen it happen a third time. Blue Eyes glanced at me, and I could tell he was going to question me, but before he could, I bolted down the stairs and was to the ground in seconds. My body slid as I turned too quickly, but I picked myself up and dashed toward the hole in the ground, throwing myself down and sliding on my knees to the edge. I stared down into the hole. I could see him now. A grey black heap on the ground, covered in white dust and pieces of plaster.

"Ash!" I gasped and jumped down beside him. The drop was only around five feet, but I didn't take the time to wonder why it was so small. A groan emitted from the body, and I dropped to my knees beside him. His head turned slightly, and I seen his eyes open ever so much, looking like green slits. His breathing was tired, but he was breathing. My heart beat rapidly with excitement and worry. He was alive.

Ash was alive.

 


	19. Chapter 19

"Blue Eyes! Blue Eyes, get down here!" I shouted.   
  
Ash moaned, then his chest heaved as coughs started raking through him. I shushed him and started stroking the side of his head to try and calm him. When I heard Blue Eyes' alarmed hooting, I looked up to see him staring down.   
  
"He's alive!" I cried.   
  
"What?!" Blue Eyes barked.   
  
"He's alive! Go get the Obas!" I shouted back.   
  
Ash was disoriented, his head lolling back and forth. I didn't think he had been awake for long, I think he had been conscious for only a few minutes before Blue Eyes and I decided to just stare down at the space that occupied our friend. But it was lucky that we did, what if we'd past Ash up all together? I pushed those thoughts away. I didn't have time to think about that, I needed to check over Ash's condition. The fact that he was alive was a miracle in his own. It was very likely that many, many bones in his body were broken or fractured. Another miracle here was that his limbs weren't bruised and bleeding and twisted. But that didn't go for all his limbs.   
  
I noticed something going on with his shoulder. His left shoulder was laying lower than his right, and at first I thought nothing of it, but then I noticed what his fur mostly covered. There was a bone protruding from his skin, not breaking the skin but I could see it straining against the thin membrane. His shoulder was dislocated. That must have been the reason he hadn't stopped whining and moaning, the pain he was in was clearer than day. I shushed him again and started talking, trying to keep him awake. There was risk he had a concussion, and I didn't want him to slip into unconsciousness again.   
  
"Ash, can you hear me? Please, you need to stay awake, okay Ash?" I grabbed his hand on the side that wasn't dislocated. "If can hear me I need you to squeeze my hand. Can you do that for me? Stay awake, squeeze my hand."   
  
I looked up, hoping Blue Eyes would hurry. Ash needed to get his arm set back in place and I was too nervous to do it by myself. Ash's head had stopped rolling and he seemed to be looking at me. "Ash?"   
  
I felt a pressure around my hand, and I looked down to see him flexing his fingers. I looked back up at his speckled face. His eyes were open a little more, and I could see how much pain he was in. Ash let out a shriek of pain when he tried to lift his hands, I assume to sign. The sound of the pained screech tore through my ears and I quickly and gently shushed him.   
  
"Don't move. I know it hurts. Help is coming. Blue Eyes will bring help. Just stay awake, okay?" I murmured.   
  
"R-Ray..." He started trying to speak my name but he was cut off by coughs. I didn't doubt that he had breathed in a good amount of dust while down here. I shushed him again, and told him everything would be alright. I started to groom him while we waited to try to calm him down and soothe him. I looked upwards, looking for any sign of someone up there. I tried not to fidget, but I wanted to get to resetting Ash's shoulder. The longer we waited, the longer recovery would take. I sighed and started looking him over for other injuries. From what I could see in the dim light, he was intact, aside from his arm. I had no doubt his entire backside was bruised badly. I started looking for any reason that could have allowed Ash to survive that fall. I looked to the ground and was shocked to see that the ground was just a huge pile of unfolded cardboard. That must have been it. The cardboard must have absorbed the shock and maybe some of the trauma from the fall. I felt a sigh of relief run through me. Just as I was about to start grooming through Ash's fur again, a barrage of hoots, barks and a scream or two echoed above us. Apes skidded around the edge of the hole above our heads.   
  
"I need some Obas down here!" I called up urgently.   
  
It only took seconds for several thuds to fill the space around us. I recognized Aria and Brent. "His shoulder is dislocated. We need to reset it. Now. It can't wait." I got right to the point.

_"Have you done this before?"_ Aria asked as she swiftly checked Ash over.  
  
"Yes. With my mother. Dax dislocated his shoulder too once. I remember what to do." I answered, feeling my nerves diminish now that Aria and other experienced Obas were here.   
  
Aria nodded, _"Good."_ Brent got behind Ash at Aria's command, and the head Oba directed me to start talking the injured chimp through the procedure.   
  
"Alright, Ash, we need you to sit up. Can you hear me?" I asked. The speckle faced chimpanzee let out a pained grunt, and cried out when he tried to prop himself up. We surged around him, calming him with pats and words of reassurance. Brent and Aria helped to slowly move Ash up, and Brent pressed himself up behind him to support his back.

"Okay, we need to bend your arm a little. Stay awake." I added, as I watched his eyelids droop a little. Ash was very disoriented, and I wasn't sure how much of my words he heard or even understood. But we proceeded in gently taking up his injured arm and lifted it until it formed a ninety degree angle at the elbow. Ash was groaning and growling in pain the whole time, and all of us shushed him soothingly.   
  
"Good, you're doing really good. Okay, now we have to turn your arm, alright?" I said as Aria and I slowly started pushing his arm outward, away from his body. Ash was letting out pained, almost frightful squeaks as we moved his unattached arm. Brent stroked the top of the younger ape's head to try and soothe him as he propped him up. Soon, Aria and I got his arm into the right position, and I drew in a breath to prepare Ash for the next step.   
  
"Ash, we're almost done. We're gonna raise your arm up, okay? We're putting your shoulder back where it belongs. Ready? One, two three..." I counted softly as Aria supported his elbow and I held onto his wrist, lifting slowly until his hand was above his head. During this process, I felt a movement. It was his arm sliding back into place. Ash let out a bark of pain. We soothed him softly and felt a wave of relief from all three of us when he didn't jerk around much.   
  
"There you go, we're all done." I said, slowly letting his arm fall. Aria held it sideways to his chest, and I knew he would need a sling of some sort. But that could wait. "You did so well." I praised.   
  
_"Brent, hold his arm like this. We need to get him in a sling when we get home."_ Aria signed.   
  
"How are we gonna get him out of here?" I wondered aloud.   
  
Aria didn't answer, but she looked up and hooted towards the apes still lining the edge of the hole above us. A gorilla huffed back and signed down, _"Almost ready."_     
  
It was then I became aware of the sounds coming from the main floor. The shuffling and clanking of wood and metal made it apparent they were building something. I drew my attention away from them and back to Ash. His head was dropped, not good.   
  
"Ash? Ash you need to stay awake. You could be concussed, you can't sleep yet." I murmured, lifting his head. He groaned and his eyes lifted a bit, but I could see how hard it must have been for him.   
  
"Rain...right." Aria said beside me, reaching out and grabbing the adolescent's nape on the side that wasn't injured. "You. Must. Stay awake. Ash."   
  
A commotion erupted above us, and I could hear a number of apes screaming. I heard a lot of shuffling and rustling and angry apes. I started fidgeting, uncomfortable with the noises. Aria placed her hand on my nape, giving light squeezes to try to calm me. "What's going on up there?" I whispered.   
  
"A-Ash!" A voice I didn't recognize screamed out on the floor above us. "My son! My Ash!"   
  
Rocket.   
  
Rocket must have found out that Blue Eyes and I had found him alive. I now understood what was happening. Rocket must have been trying to get down here. He wanted to see Ash. It was completely understandable, I would want to see my child too. I could hear the deep baritone voices of two gorillas as they grunted and growled, trying to keep the desperate father at bay while we worked out a way to get his son out of this hole and back into the sunlight while causing him minimal pain. The screaming hadn't stopped yet, and I wouldn't have been surprised if Rocket had literally started fighting tooth and nail. I could hear the gorillas as they pushed Rocket back farther from the hole we were in, no doubt infuriating Rocket even more.

I heard a calling chuff above me and Lenny the orangutan signed down to us. _"Ready now. We're coming down."_   
  
We worked to move Ash to the side to make room for the large apes that would be joining us with whatever they had built. I heard their grunts as they prepared to descend. I cringed when I heard the rush of air, followed by the loud thumps that caused the cardboard beneath our feet to vibrate and rattle slightly. Ash let out a gasp and started hooting a small, almost keening cry. He was in pain, I knew with a heavy heart. But he was alive to feel the pain, I remembered, and a rush of gratefulness brimmed in my eyes.   
  
We started in the painstaking process of getting Ash and Brent onto the makeshift gurney they had had to make at the last minute. It was pretty well made, given the last minute circumstance. Ash was whimpering and groaning, but not nearly as much as before. The way they got up was precariously risky if anyone would have asked me, but two orangutans, one being Lenny, acted as living pulleys. Each hung onto the edge of the hole, and each took an end of the gurney in the other hand. There were two gorillas down here to hold onto the gurney from below so if it went off balance, they could stop it, avoiding any further injuries.   
  
"One..." Aria counted off, holding up a palm to steady everyone. "Two...three."   
  
With grunts of effort, the orangutans heaved up slowly, the gorillas steadying the gurney. Brent and Ash were letting out pant-hoots of nervousness as they were lifted into the air. I bit down on my lip, wringing my hands as I watched them rise up. When it came time for the orangutans to lift the two apes up over their heads, the rust colored simians let out loud huffs and counted to three, on the third count, they both heaved the gurney over there heads. It was then that four apes reached down and grabbed a firm hold on them, relieving Lenny and his companion of the weight. They dropped down with us, to rest their arms, I assumed.   
  
With that, everyone started ascending, needing only to jump to land on the top side. A gorilla named Hugh stayed to offer me help up, but I politely declined. I wanted to get out on my own. There was a wooden pillar meant to hold up the ceiling that branched off near the top, that was what I would use. I only needed to place a foot on the stalk of the wood and jump up, pushing off to gain altitude before grabbing onto the crook in the wood. I got my feet beside my hands and in a matter of seconds I was standing on the pillar, head poking out of the hole. I pulled myself up easily, and found many Obas surrounding the gurney, trying to check the injured adolescent for any further injuries in the better lighting. I knew I wouldn't be able to get through the mass of bodies surrounding my best friend, so I didn't try.   
  
The sound of Hugh pulling himself up distracted me, and when I turned I made contact with his green colored eyes. The gorilla nodded at me before rising up on his hind legs to try and see over the heads of the Obas.   
  
"What do to you see? Is he okay?" I couldn't help but ask. I had met Hugh through Wes, Hugh was a good friend to Wes, and they had gone through Guard training together. He was polite and loyal, but he tended to forget his own strength sometimes. Which was part of the reason I declined his offer to help me up. I knew he wouldn't intentionally hurt me, but I knew how strong apes in general were, and I didn't want to risk a sprain. The other reason was purely selfish. I wanted to climb. When I got back to the village the first thing I wanted to do was sleep, the second thing I wanted to do was climb. I wanted to climb and run through the trees till my limbs fell off and my lungs collapsed. I couldn't wait to feel the bark beneath my fingers, the smell of the forest intoxicating me, the beautiful colors rushing around me in a beautiful ocean of greens and blues and earthen colors. But first we needed to get there.   
  
"Can't. See. Much." Hugh answered, giving an apologetic shrug. I gave a polite half smile, but I was soon herded away by Lenny, beside Blue Eyes. The both of us wanted to stay by Ash's side, but no one was letting us get close enough. I understood though, we had done what we could, any further interference would just be getting in the way. So I reluctantly let myself be led away, but in no way did I go quietly. Blue Eyes and I protested all the way out of the building, and Lenny as well as three more apes barricaded us from the threshold. We wouldn't be getting back in anytime soon. So Blue Eyes and I sighed and decided to make ourselves useful. So we joined a different group and went about searching for more lost survivors. This one was more successful.   
  
Soon enough I was able to go back to the base of the destroyed tower where the rest had been taken. Obas swarmed around like ants, rushing from patient to patient. Those who could be spared went to building large multi-person gurney-like platforms. Blue Eyes joined these apes, and I went to assist the Obas. The sun was higher now, casting a hot wave upon our tired forms. If I had to guess, I would say it was around nine or ten in the morning now. And damn did I feel it. I couldn't wait to get home to my hammock.   
  
\----an hour later----   
  
It was finally time to go home. Many gorillas carried the gurneys full of wounded. Those who didn't carried the wounded who had no room to ride a gurney on their backs. The rest of us trudged on, the males mostly herding the females, including me, into the middle of the group. Haze ended up finding me again, and chose to stay with me as we crossed the bridge. So I held him to my chest, stroking the back of his head lightly as he napped. I felt envious of the child. He could sleep. I could not. The journey was mostly silent, and though we moved as an ocean of dark, furry bodies, I could see just how many we had lost. I had lost much sleep these past three days, and I couldn't wait to get them back.   
  
When we reached the first few trees of the forest, I felt a rush of happiness flow through my like the river rapids, foamy and strong. I breathed in the smell of the trees, the plants, the clarity. But I frowned when I picked up the scent of charred wood carried on the wind. How much damage had the fire caused? I hoped the healing hut was okay, it would be bursting at its seams when we got back. It felt so nice to feel my feet sink into the moss blanketing the forest floor so thickly. The smell of charred wood and smoked stone got stronger, closer. Now we were under the sanctuary of our pines and redwoods, and after a short while more, I could hear the waterfall that fell through our mountainside home.   
  
I held Haze closer to me as we got onto the main pathway to the village. We crossed the ravine and continued up the path to the Gates. When we reached the massive, looming walls of our village, us females were commanded to stay outside the walls with sentries and the injured while some of the warriors and gorilla guards ventured inside the walls, searching out any signs of danger, such as fire or inquisitive predators. When the scouting parties all returned without worry, Caesar and his council members began sorting people out into groups, to help keep organization alive while the Obas scrambled around.   
  
Little Haze woke up sometime in the commotion while I was waiting my turn. I told him I'd find Cornelia for him, but he refused, saying he wanted to stay with me. I tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn't relent. I told the young child that I'd allow him to stay with me if he stayed on my back and out of the way as I searched out Aria. Once I found the head Oba, I made the same request I had before. I wanted to help the Obas treat the wounded. She agreed with only a glance at the young prince occupying my shoulders as she handed me an animal skin satchel. By the smell of it, I assumed it was full of poultices and herbs.   
  
I spent the next three or four hours combing my way through the wounded, though it was difficult, since not everyone wanted my help. Honestly, it hurt being turned away, more than I thought it would. They probably thought I had something to do with this, like Blue Eyes had for a few minutes. Haze was a big help though, keeping the patients occupied when the herbs stung at them. I had to suck up my nerves and pry a few bullets out of some apes. I wasn't happy about that at all, but I did well enough. But Haze was there through it all, so for his sake I regulated myself to only the minor to moderate injuries. The child didn't need to see the real aftermaths of battle. After a while, I got a surprise when Haze leaped from my body and onto the ground. I called after him and hurried after him, but I paused when I seen what he had been doing. He and Harley had thrown themselves at each other, and their arms were locked around each other. I looked up to see Heloise approaching.   
  
Once she seen me, she smiled and threw her arms around me. I hugged her back, not believing anyone had told her the news yet. Her husband was dead. She was the only remaining parent to Harley. It wasn't my place to tell her. She patted my back and gave my hair a stroke before releasing me.   
  
_"Rain, I couldn't find you for days. Where were you? Were you safe?"_ She signed, her brows raised with concern.   
  
_"I was okay for the most part, Heloise. I'm sorry if I worried you. But a lot has happened."_ I answered as the two boys reunited by our feet.   
  
The gentle bonobo quirked her head, her lip pouting out a bit in concern. _"Something tells me more has happened than I know. Do you want to talk about it?"_   
  
I stared into her kind lime colored eyes, and seen genuine concern. I sighed and nodded. I let her herd me to the side and sat me down on some logs by an extinguished hearth. She called Haze and Harley closer to keep an eye on them and to keep them from bothering anyone. She turned back to me. _"Tell me about it."_   
  
I glanced down at my lap, beginning the story with a soft tone. "...I found my father, and I have another older brother, and I have an aunt." I paused as my lip began to tremble. I had to bite down on it and hold my fingers tightly for a moment. "Malcolm is my father."   
  
Heloise quirked her head again. _"The human who..?"_   
  
I nodded. "I've known that man since I was a little girl. I met him when my mother made Dax and I leave our old home to come here, because we had family here, in the city. My mom said her and Malcolm had been close friends when they were younger. They never told us. They weren't together. They didn't tell us." the words kept pouring from me. I wasn't angry, I wasn't raising my voice, on the contrary, my voice seemed to be getting quieter.   
  
"I always thought that my father didn't want me. He left before I was born. He didn't want me, that's what I thought. I grew up thinking that, when he was right there that whole time. I used to wonder what it would feel like to be hugged by my father, and I never knew that I already had felt it. It's messing with my head." I said. "I should be mad. The reasons he gave me weren't adequate at all. But I'm not. I'm not mad. I'm grateful. I don't understand why I'm not mad, I should be. I don't know what to do with myself." I dropped my face into my hands. "Does any of this make sense?" I looked up at Heloise.   
  
She met my gaze, unwavering. _"No one can tell you the right way to feel. You feel what you feel and that's that. You must be glad to have some family left, are you not?"_   
  
"Well, yeah, but...I don't know. I'm happy I have them, but it's not a matter of 'having family left' _this_ is my family." I said. "That whole time I was so worried about all of you."  
    
Heloise put her arm around my shoulders. _"Of course you were. You're Rain. You're caring beyond expectation and I've seen you work hard just for the smallest of ape smiles. Wonder what your breed is called?"_ She paused. _"Maybe we make new name for new kind of human."_   
  
I giggled. "Thank you, Heloise." I was flattered, and I was glad I had decided to talk to her. But soon a yawn broke into my smile and I quickly covered it with a hand. Heloise let out a sound I could only describe as a motherly chuckle.  
    
_"You should go rest now. You don't look like you've slept much."_ She signed.   
  
_"But there are still wounded needing to be treated."_ I argued through sign language.   
  
She only smiled more. _"You've helped many wounded today. It's time to help yourself. Go sleep."_   
  
I sighed. "I do miss my hollow..." I said.   
  
Heloise rose up from her seat, pulling me up as well. _"Then go to it."_ She gave me a bit of surprise when she gave the side of my head a kiss. I smiled at her and nodded, though I had a hard time pulling away from her. So we both leaned forward and let our foreheads rest against each other's. When the moment was over, I went to walk away, but Haze clung to my foot. I paused and smiled down at him as he climbed his way up my body into my arms. He yawned when he got there.   
  
I smiled at him. "You tired?" I asked.   
  
He nodded sleepily.   
  
"I'll take you to Cornelia. Say goodbye to Heloise and Harley." I said, turning so he could see the bonobos.   
  
He waved and let out a tired, "Bye bye." Harley waved back and answered with a squeak as Heloise picked him up. I waved goodbye to the two and walked forward, looking for the queen.   
  
I found her a few minutes later, and she greeted me with a smile. "He's getting tired, I told him I'd take him to you." I said, after I inclined my head respectfully.   
  
She took her child into her arms lovingly. _"You look tired too."_   
  
I nodded sheepishly. "Heloise just convinced me to go to my hollow. I was dropping off Haze with you first, though."   
  
She quirked her head. _"I don't know if I want you sleeping alone right now..."_   
  
At first I thought maybe I hadn't read her one handed signs correctly. But apparently I had not, for she took my hand and pulled me to Home Tree. I didn't find my voice until we were making our way up the staircase around the tree's massive trunk.   
  
"Are you sure? I mean I don't wanna bother..-" I protested lightly.   
  
_"Of course you're not. I hate to say this but I'm not sure I trust everyone to leave you alone before Caesar tells them what really happened. I don't want you to get hurt."_   
  
"Mother?"   
  
I jumped when I heard Blue Eyes' voice behind me. I turned and seen him walking up the stairs after us. He extended a hand to my shoulder and rubbed his fist in the middle of his chest in apology for startling me before turning to Cornelia.   
  
_"What's going on? Is there something wrong?"_   
  
Cornelia shook her head. _"Nothing is wrong. I want Rain to sleep up with us tonight, so her safety is insured. I hate to think that anyone would hurt her, but I'm just not comfortable with the thought of her being alone tonight. You understand?"_   
  
He looked stunned, but he got over it quickly. _"I see."_ He answered, glancing at me.   
  
Haze seemed to realize what was going on, and was temporarily knocked out of his sleepy dozing. _"Rain sleep over?"_   
  
Cornelia nodded. I giggled when the child started smiling widely, trying to laugh but all that would come out were a series of especially breathy pant-hoots. Cornelia smiled at her youngest, and gave only the flick of her fingers to beckon her oldest and I up toward their penthouse home. Lanterns and fire pits had already been lit, and I noticed through out much of the house, Cornelia had flowers and other sweet smelling plants about the place. I supposed her and I had similar tastes. She led me around a bend in the tree, where there were four separate cave-like openings in the walls. I realized then that the sickbed must have only been an extra one, like how my hollow had a moss bed, though I didn't use it anymore because of my hammock. So I assumed that the one Cornelia used when she was sick was the one she and Caesar used, or they had a spare bedroom kind of thing going on over here.   
  
The gentle queen guided me into the room on the right, directing me to a rather large moss bed. She went into a corner where a whicker basket chest sat, and opened it up, pulling out two large furs and spreading them out on the bed. I thanked her quietly and she nodded with a smile. Before she left, she stopped and turned to her son.   
  
_"Will you stay here and keep an eye on Haze? I still have a few more things to see to in the village. Besides, I'm sure Rain wouldn't mind the company, would you?"_ She added, looking at me.   
  
I shook my head with a half smile. "I don't mind."   
  
Blue Eyes nodded to his mother and she went to place Haze in his older brother's arms. She waved goodbye as she left, and I plopped myself down with my back resting against a wall.   
  
"Well," I said quietly. "Those were some eventful days."   
  
Blue Eyes cradled his younger brother in the crook of one arm as he sat beside me. _"That it was, Bird, that it was."_   
  
"Have you seen Ash yet?" I asked quietly.   
  
He shook his head. "Wouldn't let me in. How hurt is he?"   
  
I sucked in a deep breath. "His shoulder was dislocated. We had to set it while we were in the hole. They probably set his arm in a sling by now. Luckily that seemed the most serious. There's a chance he could be concussed, and I have no doubt his back is bruised pretty badly."   
  
Blue Eyes sighed and leaned his head back. "So." He said, his voice deep as he did his best to articulate and whisper at the same time. "What'd ya say, you, me, camping."   
  
I giggled, covering my mouth to stifle them, afraid to wake Haze. When I calmed myself down from the unexpected comedy, I turned my face to look up at him. He was gazing down at me with a tired smirk as he watched me laugh. I nodded up at him. "Okay."   
  
_"After this is all settled out, of course."_ He signed.   
  
I hummed in agreement. Another soft laugh bubbled out of me, and Blue Eyes glared down at me lightly. "What?"   
  
"You." I answered with a smile.   
  
He huffed out a breath of laughter. _"What about me?"_   
  
"You're cute." I said.   
  
He smirked down at me again. "You're cuter."   
  
"Well if you insist." I shrugged, the side of my mouth hooked upward, defining one of my cheek bones more prominently than the other. Blue Eyes huffed out another puff of laughter, reaching out with his free arm to take my hand in his. I drew my leg up on the opposite side as we dropped our laced hands in between the small space between our thighs to conceal it in case someone happened to walk in. We sat in silence for a few minutes, thoughts running away with the both of us.   
  
"Do you think..." I murmured quietly after a while. "Not much is gonna be the same after this, is it?"   
  
"I don't know." Blue Eyes whispered.   
  
I squeezed his fingers lightly. "At least not all of the change is bad."   
  
He squeezed my hand back and turned his head to kiss my head, above my ear. He let his face linger there, his forehead laying on the side of my skull. I nuzzled him gently in return. In the back of my mind I was worried Cornelia would come in for Haze, after all, she said she only had a few things to do down in the village before returning. Or maybe even Caesar. But the too close proximity for friendship was extracted and we soon fell into a playful, borderline flirtatious banter, signing and laughing back and forth with each other. I was glad after all the stress of the past events to just be able to sit back with Blue Eyes and laugh. But I suddenly found myself asleep, never feeling the exhaustion take me away.   
  
\----the morning of the next day----   
  
So. I slept through the rest of the day, as well as the night. When I woke up, I got a bit of a shock. Cornelia was crouching in front of me, an unknown smile on her face as she met my eyes. I was groggy and when I moved my head to rub the sleep out of my eyes, I became aware of a warmth on my arm. When I looked back to my left, I seen Blue Eyes. He was asleep, his head laid back against the wall with his face turned toward me. The warmth was his arm, pressed against mine. Then I realized what must have happened.   
  
We must have fallen asleep, and during slumber I must have fallen against his shoulder, seeing as my neck had been craned downward in his direction. I turned to Cornelia, not fully remembering how this happened. Why wasn't I in my hollow? I remembered talking with Blue Eyes, but the rest of the day was in a groggy haze. I lifted my hands to sign to her, hoping she could fill me in.  
    
_"How did..?"_   
  
Cornelia's smile widened a fraction. _"You two fell asleep."_   
  
I glanced at Blue Eyes again, noticing the soft snores coming from him. I turned back to the queen.  
    
_"Is that bad?"_ I asked, not sure how to go about this.   
  
The queen puffed out a singular soft laugh. She was enjoying this, I realized, and if she had been just a friend and not my queen and my senior, I would have glared lightly. But that was not the case, so I kept up my respect. Not that I needed to try. _"No, not bad. Cute."_     
  
_Fuck, don't blush, don't smile, goddammit why does that have to make me so happy? Damn it._ I thought as shyness fluttered into my stomach. I hummed softly for a moment and turned my head away, running a hand through my hair nervously. When I looked back, Cornelia was still just sitting there smiling. I smiled back nervously, hating the fact that the warmth in my cheeks proved they would be at least a little pink. I was saved when Blue Eyes started to stir. We both turned our gazes into the young ape as he lifted his head and revealed lidded eyes. He sat up slowly, using a hand to prop himself up as the other went to his neck. He rubbed his nape for a moment before he looked up, a surprised but fatigued countenance on his face as he looked between Cornelia and I.   
  
_"What's going on?"_ He signed, seeming to have the same confusion I had initially had.   
  
_"You both fell asleep."_ Cornelia repeated herself to her son, now that he was conscious.   
  
Blue Eyes and I exchanged a glance. _"Didn't mean to..."_ He signed.  
    
_"Neither did I."_ I added with soft movements.   
  
_"No need to apologize. Accidents happen."_ Cornelia paused. _"I don't think 'accident' is the right word for this."_ She shrugged to herself. _"No harm done, so no need for apologies."_   
  
All the while she kept her smile. It was starting to unnerve me, but I knew it wasn't anything to really worry about. Cornelia's entire nature was benign and caring. Of course she wouldn't be mad at this.  
  
_"Where's Haze?"_ Blue Eyes asked, making me realize that the child had been present when we fell asleep, though he himself was also unconscious.   
  
_"Playing. We all slept the whole day yesterday. Caesar is going to tell the colony what Koba did soon."_ The queen said.   
  
I perked up at that. "Does Heloise know? And Harley?"  
   
Cornelia pursed her lips slightly for a moment. _"Heloise knows. Her son, I'm not sure of."_  
  
I sighed. _"I'm worried about him."_   
  
Cornelia's smile returned softly. _"Such a caring girl."_ She signed, a pondering look seeming to befall her expression.   
  
My lips parted with surprise at the unexpected compliment. I lifted a hand to my chin to thank her. _"Thank you."_   
  
Cornelia nodded in return. _"Come, you both must be hungry, when's the last time you ate?"_  
    
Blue Eyes and I had exchanged a glance. It had been at least two days since my last meal, and now that food was mentioned I became hypersensitive to the painful ache in my stomach. Not so long ago I had been completely used to going without food, now I was pampered with a regular food supply. I then realized Blue Eyes hadn't eaten anything I was aware of back at the Victorian house we'd taken refuge in, and knew it could have been at least three days since his last meal. The thought made my scars tingle with the memory of the day I was attacked by a lion. Blue Eyes hadn't eaten that day either.   
  
During my train of thought, Blue Eyes had stood up. It was only when I heard his beckoning grunt that I looked up and noticed the hand he was offering to me. I took it and met his cerulean orbs as he pulled my gently to my feet. I smiled and nodded in thanks, lifting my hand to sign the word after he let my hand go. We followed the queen out of Home Tree and down the spiral staircase. When we passed my hollow, I ran my fingertips over the thick, lush vines that grew over the entrance, shielding me in my sleep.   
  
I looked out over the village, feeling refreshed by the familiar scene. It wasn't until I looked to my right that I seen the damage done by the fire. The Gates looked like a charred skeleton, but it was holding up rather well, thank goodness. There was new timber supporting the Gates, so that gave me relief. The fire had spread to a few huts located close to the Gates and had been burned too, and one looked like it needed total rebuilding, but as for the rest, a little renovating and it'd all be good as new. It seemed to me that Blue Eyes and I weren't the only ones who had slept the rest of the day away,   
  
Everyone seemed to either be going about everything cautiously, or they were trying to go about as normal. Instinctively I looked up to the overhang where Caesar's family and I usually ate, and seen Caesar sitting there staring into a hearth fire. His face was creased with contemplation. But as we continued to get closer I seen a little black ball fly toward the king. He seen it too and sat up, arms out and a smile on his face. Haze leapt into his father's arms and gave him a big hug, which Caesar gently returned. They then started signing back and forth between each other.   
  
When we approached, I was glad to see Caesar didn't lose his smile. It comforted me to know that the still injured king could find solace in his family. Blue Eyes and I broke off to go grab some food, and Cornelia went to join her husband and youngest. We came back and sat down, and Blue Eyes handed a plate to his mother before we all tucked into our food. It was mostly quiet, but it was a comfortable quiet. Though, of course, with a kid like Haze, the quiet doesn't last long. He soon finished the food that Cornelia tried to feed him and started jumping from each of us, talking excitedly about this or that.   
  
His happiness washed off onto us. For a few minutes, we were allowed to forget. About everything. We all sat in a circle and played with Haze, our breakfasts forgotten and unwanted. The child gave us a chance to relax, he gave us happy smiles and laughter and entertainment and beautiful forgetfulness. Much of the time, I think Haze _is_ happiness. He was the embodiment of gay giddiness and youthful energy and everything that could make a person smile. But the mirth couldn't last long, because Luca soon approached us all, and Cornelia bundled Haze up into her arms to try and lid his energy while Luca inclined his head respectfully.  
    
_"Apologies for disturbing your family time, Caesar, but there is something you must see."_ The large gorilla signed.  
  
 _"What is it?"_ The king signed back.  
  
Luca seemed hesitant to answer, glancing at the rest of us until Caesar prompted him to continue, despite our presence. _"The human has returned to the edge of the forest. Says he needs to speak with you. Says it's important. Seems genuine."_   
  
I perked at the that. Malcolm? It had only been a day, what could he possibly need? Caesar glanced at me, and rose to his feet. He beckoned Blue Eyes and I to rise. When we did, he silently said I'd be coming along, as well as Rocket, Luca, Maurice as well as a few other council members. I was confused, didn't we agree we'd give each side time to calm and recover? Returning to the forest this soon was not good. Not for the others. We were in a delicate situation, and it needed to be handled with care. This was a risky move, and I hoped it was for a good reason.   
  
Blue Eyes and I exchanged a glance, but he seemed as confused by this as I was. I followed obediently beside Luca. We made our way through the forest, I could smell rain in the air. The trip was silent, but out of the corner of my eye I could see a few apes signing back and forth to one another, but I didn't feel like eavesdropping at the moment. Soon we made it to the old fire truck road where the humans had left their trucks before. A familiar banged up 4x4 truck came into view, Malcolm pacing in front of it. I seen Alex sitting on the hood, the balls of his feet bouncing on the bumper nervously. When Malcolm glanced up he spotted us and paused his pacing.   
  
"I know we agreed on three months but this is something else." Malcolm said once Caesar approached him. The council members stayed back a few feet but Blue Eyes and I felt bold enough to come closer. "You need to see this."   
  
Alex jumped from the hood of the truck and made his way around, Malcolm following. Caesar led us around the bend, feeling slightly cautious but knowing it was unneeded. Alex had opened up the doors to the trunk and was peering in from a few feet back, his arms crossed over his chest as one hand reached up and held his mouth, his eyes trained on something inside. Malcolm stood beside his son and nodded for us to look inside. Blue Eyes had inconspicuously stretched out a hand, moving it to cross over my stomach. He wanted me to stay back. I complied, staying behind him and peering over his shoulder into the trunk. It was dark, and I couldn't see what was supposed to be in there. But then Malcolm reached in and drew a blanket away. Underneath was an ape. I gasped when I recognized the scar laced body lying there unconscious.   
  
Koba.   
  
I took a step back and Blue Eyes let out a grunt of recognition a moment later. The bonobo was lying on his side with his back turned to us, and I could see his body moving slightly with breath. How could this be? They said he was dead. _Well he's not dead anymore._ I thought. Caesar was just standing there, staring at him. Then another thought struck me, what did this mean for everyone?   
  
"We found him while we were sifting through the wreckage at the bottom of the tower earlier. He hasn't woken up." Malcolm said. "We didn't know what to do, so we took him to you."   
  
At first I didn't think Caesar had heard him, for a moment I didn't even think he was breathing, but then his head turned quickly to the side where Malcolm's voice had come from. Then he seemed to come back to his own body, but he still remained silent. Blue Eyes and I exchanged a glance again, and I took a step to place myself slightly behind his shoulder, feeling uneasy in Koba's presence. Caesar then chose now to speak.   
  
"Thank you. For bringing him. We will handle this from here." He said.   
  
Malcolm nodded slowly. "Okay."   
  
I backed off as the council members went to go see what the fuss was about. Alex came to stand beside me. "So what's gonna happen to him?" He asked.   
  
I sighed. "I don't know. It's Caesar's decision." I didn't want to give away too much information. It's not that I didn't trust him, it was just it wasn't his business. It was ours. And I don't think the others would have liked it to find I had been sharing our private affairs with him. Even if he was my brother.   
  
The males started moving in to the truck. Luca reached in and picked up Koba's unmoving body and slung him over his shoulder. Then they started moving out.   
  
"I have to go." I said. "I'll see you in three months."   
  
"Three months. Bye, Rain." Alex replied.   
  
"Bye." I said before walking away. I glanced at Malcolm on my way past and when eye contact was made I gave a smile and said goodbye to him. He said goodbye back and that was it. I rejoined the group and started on our way back through the village. Maurice walked beside me, and he took a break from his usual knuckling walk and stood bipedal so he could sign to me.  
    
_"You seem to have gotten closer to them."_ He didn't say it suspiciously or anything, and the look in his eye let me believe he was just curious.   
  
I nodded. _"He's my father."_

Maurice let out a chuff, but not one of surprise like I would have thought. When I looked at him quizzically, he answered my unspoken question. _"I_ _suspected as much. The boy seemed to have much brotherly love and concern for you. But why wait till now to say something?"_  
    
_"I didn't know. I would have said something, but I didn't know. I didn't find out until the day before Blue Eyes went back to the city to help you guys."_ I signed back.   
  
Maurice chuffed again, and I could see he was still a bit fuzzy on some things. _"Can I explain later?"_ I asked, _"back at the village."_   
  
Maurice nodded. _"Of course."_ Then he got back down to walking of his knuckles. The walk back was silent again, but this time, no one signed to one another after Maurice's and I's conversation drew to a close. If Koba was alive, what would Caesar do with him? What did this mean for Ash in particular? Maybe the universe had somehow seen that as right? If Ash should live it was only fair that his killer should keep his heartbeat as well. I didn't know how much I agreed with that philosophy, but I knew this created more problems. Maybe Caesar would just banish Koba, after he had healed of course. No matter what he had done, Caesar wouldn't send an injured ape to fend for themselves for the rest of their lives. He wouldn't do that to a human, either, I realized. He hadn't done that to me.   
  
When we got to the village, no one paid us much mind, and despite the scars and thinned out patches of fur all over Koba's body, the bonobo blended in well with the thick fur on Luca's body. Caesar led us all to a slightly burned hut, on the inside perimeter alongside the Gates.  
    
_"We will keep him here for now, away from the others. Rebuild this place, and I want two gorillas guarding the entrance at all times. Blue Eyes, get Aria, tell her to bring her medicines and Obas she knows can keep this confidential."_ Caesar said. Maurice and one other council member left to retrieve lumber to rebuild the damaged wall, and Blue Eyes went to do what his father had commanded of him. Luca and another gorilla had moved to the outside of the hut, guarding the doorway as asked. I was soon the only one left.   
  
_"Is there anything you'd like help with?"_ I signed timidly.

  
 Caesar looked at me for a long time before he lifted his hands. _"Bring Heloise to me. If you can, don't let Harley follow."_  
  
I nodded curtly and inclined my head respectfully before walking out the door. I climbed onto one of the timber sets jutting out of walls and crags in the perimeter of the village. Once I gained enough height, I started scanning the masses for Heloise. It was hard, but I soon found her to the right side of the village, watching Harley play with two other children beside a gorilla mother. I jumped down from my perch and briskly made my way over to the soft bonobo. When I reached her, I did my best to come up to her from the side so Harley didn't notice me.  
   
 _"I need you to come with me. It's important."_ I signed, and I'm pretty sure the underlying grave look in my eyes helped convey the seriousness of the matter.  
  
She nodded and turned to the gorilla beside her, asking if she would watch Harley until she returned. The gorilla graciously agreed and Heloise stood up and followed me back toward the hut where her mate now lay. She asked me what was wrong, but I avoided answering, saying that I was supposed to go get her. Her confusion rose when she seen Luca and his companion at the entrance to the damaged hut. I stopped on the outside, and directed her in, deciding I'd let Caesar handle this one, seeing as it was none of my business any longer.  
  
I decided now might have been a good time to visit Ash, to see if he was awake. When I passed through the threshold to the healing hut, I found many if not all the many rooms were filled. I decided I didn't want to just go peeking into every room, so I had to wait for an Oba to come out of a room to ask where Ash's room was. She looked busy and I felt bad about stopping her, and she looked irritated by it. But she directed me to a room in a corner and I thanked her politely, giving her an apologetic smile for disturbing her as I went on my way.  
  
There was a curtain drawn over the door and the orange shadow of a fire glowed from inside. I peeked in and seen Blue Eyes sitting beside a fluffy looking moss bed, Ash inside the bed under a thick fur, and I seen a sling wrapped over his nape. They both looked up when I knocked on the wall, leaning in with my shoulder on the doorframe. Blue Eyes waved me in and patted the spot beside him. I joined him and he surprised me by wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me into his lap. When I looked at him with surprise, he gave a smile and a nod, and now I knew it was okay to be affectionate around Ash. I heard a chuckle and looked down to see Ash smiling amusedly at us.  
   
 _"You finally told her, didn't you?"_ He signed one handedly, wincing but still smiling.  
  
"What?" I looked from him to Blue Eyes, but he was looking to the left, then up at the ceiling, the pull of his lips telling me he wasn't going to say anything.  
   
 _"She knows."_ Blue Eyes signed with one hand.  
  
Ash let out a few happy pant-hoots, though he stopped quickly and a look of pain swept over his face before he dismissed it and turned his full attention back to us. I looked at him with despaired sympathy. "Ash..."  
  
 _"I'm fine. I'm happy for you two. It's about time you two confessed."_ Ash paused. _"I knew it was only a matter of time."_  
  
This time both of our brows rose, and in stereo, Blue Eyes and I said, "Wait, what?"  
   
Ash mocked a scoff. _"I don't understand you. It was obvious to everyone but each other."_  
  
Blue Eyes and I exchanged an alarmed glance. I turned back to Ash. "What do you mean obvious to everyone?"  
   
 _"Well, maybe not EVERYONE, but those of us who pay attention could see."_ The ashy colored chimp replied.  
  
 _"Wow, Ash, thanks for telling me."_ Blue Eyes signed, huffing out a scoff.  
  
I giggled at that, and laughed again when Ash answered. _"Anytime, my friend."_  
  
The smile got smaller but didn't leave my face as I relaxed into Blue Eyes' hold. "How are you feeling?" I asked Ash.  
   
 _"Like I got thrown off a balcony."_ He answered. _"By the way...thank you."_ Ash suddenly turned solemn, a side of him that didn't often show itself.  
  
I quirked my head in confusion. "What for?"  
   
 _"For finding me."_ He answered simply. _"And for talking to me through that whole arm thing."_  
 

"I wasn't sure if you would remember that." I said softly, not exactly sure I wanted him to remember it. It had been painful.  
   
He hummed in confirmation. _"Well, thanks, Angel."_  
  
I quirked my head again, wondering if I had heard him right. But when Blue Eyes coiled his arms around me tighter and gave a small warning growl, it confirmed that I hadn't read Ash's gestures incorrectly. But Ash didn't seem intimidated at all by Blue Eyes' possessiveness, in fact he found it funny. But again his laughter was quelled by the pain in his body.  
   
 _"Easy, prince. She's all yours, but I'm afraid I'm not going to stop calling her that. That's her new name as far as I'm concerned."_ Ash signed, a teasing smirk on his face.  
  
I was expecting a sigh of annoyance from my Blue, but instead, he chuckled. _"You're lucky I like it."_ He signed, a smile on his face. I found myself thinking about how much I liked his smile again, and decided to just lean up a little and peck his cheek. I felt a sprig of giddiness when his smile widened and he kissed my brow. I nuzzled into his neck slightly, smiling. Ash cooed teasingly, signing about how cute we were. Of course, I blushed, but not nearly enough to make me uncomfortable. I had to slap a hand over my mouth to quiet my laughter when Blue Eyes actually flipped him off. I hadn't known they had the same curse words!  
   
 _"Seriously though, I'm really glad you two can finally embrace your feelings for one another. It was frustrating to see you both trying to suppress it."_ The solemn Ash was back after our mutual laugh, and he was watching us with a small smile.  
 

Blue Eyes and I exchanged a glance, sharing a smile as well before laying out foreheads against one another's for a few seconds. Then I drew away slightly and looked at Ash. "What was it like? Falling." I couldn't help but ask.  
    
Ash paused to think for a moment. _"It sucked."_ He answered, deadpan. _"Don't try this at home, kids."_ He added, laughing at his own joke.   
  
We laughed too. Blue Eyes and I stayed with Ash for the rest of the day, even eating in the room with him so he wouldn't be alone. I got a look at his back when an Oba came in to refresh the poultice wraps covering his back. His fur seemed three shades darker from the bruises on his skin and the wetness of the herb poultices in his fur. I could tell he was in pain but when we offered to let him rest he shook his head, saying he didn't want to be alone. He got visitors besides us. A friend called Dana came around late afternoon, and his parents came often. Cornelia brought Haze to see him too, Caesar also visited his honorary nephew twice. A few more friends came to see him, but Blue Eyes and I stayed by his side through the whole thing. Blue Eyes even slept in the room with him, in a pile of furs given to him by an elderly Oba. I was escorted (by Blue Eyes) back to my hollow once dark fell heavily on us, and after a lingering hug goodnight, I collapsed into my hammock after taking off most of my clothes and throwing on a hoodie and undies. I breathed in the smell of flowers and home as I wrapped myself up in my blankets. God I'd missed this place. My little safe haven. I fell asleep snuggling my nose into my pillows.


	20. Chapter 20

_I was wondering around in the dark. I couldn't find my way and I couldn't figure out where I was going, only that I had to get there. Then suddenly there was an explosion of light and orange and heat and noise. When the smoke cleared, I seen I was in San Francisco. It was a war zone. Gunshots sliced the air, and I dropped to a crouch and covered my head. But an explosion around twenty feet away from me knocked me back, and I scrambled to the husk of an old pickup truck. I couldn't figure out who was shooting. I couldn't see anything but fire and dirt and scorch marks._

_Suddenly my name rang out with baritone blasts, and I searched around for the voice. Suddenly I seen a man. He stood tall and was thin but stocky, a grey beanie covered a mess of black hair. When our eyes met, a bright smile struck his face and he called out to me again. Dax. I gasped and got up, dashing toward him. The bullets didn't matter. Neither did the fire or the concrete or the fear. My big brother was here. He ran toward me and when we reached each other her swooped me up into his arms. I clutched onto him and buried my face into his nape. Dax was here and it was okay, everything was okay now. Happiness stretched my lips until my face hurt as a huge wave of love swept over me. I had missed him. I didn't know where he had gone or how long he had been gone, but I knew that this joy was the relief of a painful absence. I laughed as he squeezed me to him._

_But then something was wrong. Dax grunted and his grip on me faltered. I pulled back and seen a pained smile on his face. Blood coated his neck, bright and thick. He had been shot. I gasped but before I could do anything he collapsed to his knees, holding onto my waist. But his arms lost their strength and he fell backwards into his back. I dropped to my knees beside him and I couldn't do anything but scream. Throughout the whole thing a sickly happy smile remained on his face, even though his eyes swam with pain. But suddenly it wasn't Dax laying there._

_It was Blue Eyes._

_Blood coated the fur of his throat and seeped onto the ground. He lifted a hand and held my face. I couldn't stop screaming for help. He was dying. His face was going pale and his eyes looked to be an icy, almost white color against the pallid complexion of his face. I kept pleading with him. Pleading for the bullet to go away, for the blood to go away. But it wouldn't go away. It kept pouring out of Blue Eyes and for the cruelest reason he kept smiling at me. He kept smiling at me like I was some doting child he adored. So much love. It hurt. He was dying and I couldn't help him and it hurt._

_"Someone please, help him!"_

I gasped and sat up, chest heaving. My heart hammered in my chest and I groaned, slumping against my forearms.

"Rain?" I looked up when I heard my name called.

"Yes?" I answered, hating the fact that my voice cracked.

Cornelia stepping inside my hollow, her lips puckered loosely with concern." _Are you okay_?"

I nodded, sitting up Indian style. " _Another nightmare."_ I signed with a sigh.

She cooed comfortably as she stood beside my hammock. It had been three days since we found Koba, and every night I'd been plagued by sleeping terror. _"I'm sorry. Blue Eyes has been having nightmares too."_ She said.

I quirked my head. "He has?" He didn't say anything to me, but I had been picking up that he had not been well. But of course, he refused to share when I asked about it. Stubborn ape.

Cornelia sighed. " _Yes. I think Caesar too, but he tells me nothing about it_."

"Why are boys so stubborn?" I wondered aloud.

Cornelia shrugged. " _Born that way, maybe. Come, let's eat_."

I got up and threw on a hoodie over my t-shirt before following Cornelia. After we ate, we groomed each other, Cornelia did wonders to calm the almost staticky mess of my hair. Blue Eyes and Caesar were both absent from breakfast, and Cornelia told me it was because Blue Eyes was out leading his first hunting party, and Caesar had another hunting band nearby in case of emergency. I felt happy for him, and I knew it would be an achievement he would feel proud of. Blue Eyes loved it when Caesar showed his trust for him not only as his son, but as a regular young hunter.

Caesar still hadn't told the colony about Koba's betrayal. He had meant to do it the day after we got back, but there was so much to do. And then there was the business of figuring out what to actually do with Koba. No one knew that he was alive save for a few choice members of the Gorilla Guard, some Obas, Heloise, Blue Eyes, Cornelia and myself. Koba was being kept secret from the colony, and I wasn't sure how they'd react to that. I didn't know how they'd react to what I'd been doing lately either.

I'd been helping the Obas treat Koba's wounds.

He still hasn't woken up yet. He had stirred and groaned in his sleep, but at no point had he reached consciousness. I hadn't told Blue Eyes what I'd been doing either, and I knew I would have to soon. But I knew that he wasn't going to like it and I was dreading the confrontation he was no doubt going to initiate after he found out. But I had my reasons for doing it.

I bid farewell to Cornelia and made my way to the healing hut. I picked up the satchel I'd been using lately and started on my way to the hut where Koba was being kept. One of the Gorilla Guards wasn't going to let me in, but Luca held up a silencing hand and waved me in. Caesar and Aria had agreed to let me help after I explained why I wanted to, and Luca knew I did as well. Though I wasn't sure if he knew the reason. When I entered, Heloise was inside, as was Aria and another Oba named Deuce. He had a short fuse, but he knew what he was doing. He tolerated me as long as I stayed out of his way and followed orders.

Koba was still asleep, no surprise there. I stopped just inside the threshold and crouched down, extending my arm and supplicating to the older apes. I wouldn't enter without permission, especially not with Deuce around. He didn't take any bullshit of any kind. Said Oba swiped my palm with a gruff grunt. I nodded to Heloise and she nodded back, going back to where she had been grooming out Koba's fur. She had been doing that whenever she was here, sitting here and there and grooming out her mate's fur, faithfully gliding her fingers through any knots and combing out the tangles. Aria motioned me to to start changing some of the bandages she hadn't gotten to yet.

I quickly and quietly went about removing bandages and cleaning up cuts and scratches before applying fresh medicine and bandaging. Koba had a lot of scratches that would no doubt still be hurting if he were awake, and he had a bad cut on his side below his ribs, and a few old scars were reopened. Not to mention all the bruises dotting his body. A good big part of me felt really bad for the guy. He's had a hard life, and he has the marks to prove it. I was just securing a wrapping around his arm when I seen his fingers twitch. I thought nothing of it until his elbow moved away slightly, a groan emanating from his throat. I jumped away with a gasp and slid to a corner.

Grunts and small hoots of alarm rose up in the air for a moment before Aria calmed the rising clamor. A sneeze struck the air, then a pair of coughs. The doorway darkened and I looked up to see Caesar right on time for the new development. The king had come every day to see any new developments in Koba's health himself. I moved around to the other side of the hut, to see what was happening.

Koba had woken up.

Heloise was right by his side, holding his hand. I couldn't see her expression, but I could see Koba's. He was gazing up at Heloise like he never wanted to look away. She stroked his hand and his wrist as she let out a few comforting hoots.

"Koba...feeling better?" She whispered in her soft little voice.

His eyes searched her face, his mouth moved up and down slightly as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out. Heloise apparently was worried by this.

"Koba?" She seemed to tighten her grip on his wrist.

Aria chose that moment to intervene. He wasn't responding, and that could be problematic." _Do you know where you are_?" She signed.

Koba didn't answer, he only glanced at Aria long enough to watch her sign, but his half-blind gaze went right back to Heloise, never wavering. She hooted at him, prompting him to answer. But he didn't, he only continued to stare at her. I seen then how much he loved Heloise. And she loved him, and she was worried for him, afraid for him. Heloise scooted closer, and lifted her other hand to repeat Aria's question. He then seemed to jump slightly, as if he only now understood what her gestures meant.

He looked around, scanned his surroundings and the apes in them. I tensed when his green irises traveled over me, but he didn't do anything. That confused me. I had expected him to at least glare, bare his fangs, _something_. But he did nothing. His gaze returned to Heloise again. His head shook slowly from side to side, he still hadn't said anything.

"D-do you...Do you know... who I am?" Heloise asked quietly, and I realized what she must have been thinking.

The atmosphere turned into a vacuum, sucking the air out of everyone in this room, forcing us all to hold our breaths. Koba stated at her, his one good eye scanning her up and down before meeting her eyes again.

"Heloise..." He whispered coarsely. Heloise visibly exhaled, and she nodded, reaching out to run a hand over the side of his face.

"But..." He said, glancing around. "Who...are you?"

My eyes widened a bit. He didn't seem to be delusional. He had known Heloise, so why didn't he know the rest of us? Especially Caesar?

"You, do not...know?" Aria asked.

Koba shook his head in confusion. Aria jumped into action the next moment.

"Out." She barked. " _Everybody out. Now_."

I waited patiently for most of the apes to shuffle out of the hut as I moved toward the exit. I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to meet Blue Eyes' gaze. He must have come in behind Caesar. _Shit_ , I thought.

" _Can I talk to you_?" He signed, and I could tell by his expression just what he wanted to talk about.

"Would it be too comical to ask for a rain check on this particular conversation?" I asked as we exited the building. He tugged me aside and we wove between a few other huts before ducking into a vacant, unused hut.

" _What were you doing in there_?" He got right to the point.

"Well...I've been-I've been helping the Obas. Heal Koba." I said, trying not to stutter as I looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze.

"Helping-why?" Blue Eyes asked in a brisk, hushed tone. He was mad. " _After what he did to Ash_?"

For some reason, I felt a sprig of annoyance, and even a little anger. "I'm not doing it for him, I'm doing it for her." I snapped.

"Who?" He glared at me quizzically.

"I'm doing it for Heloise and I'm doing it for Harley. Not many may like what I'm doing but they love him. I remember exactly what it felt like growing up without a father. I had no clue if he was dead or if he just didn't want me, and I don't want Harley to have to go through anything even remotely similar to how that made me feel. Besides," I lowered my voice from its annoyed tightness. "If you were to do anything like Koba did, I'd still love you, just like Heloise still loves Koba. Do you see now? I'm doing it for them." I bit my lip, awaiting his answer.

Blue Eyes took in a deep breath and looked away, out the door. He gave a huff and crossed his arms over his chest as he gazed at me, a slightly annoyed contemplation pulling his lips into a line. But then he puffed out a laugh and shook his head at me

" _I'm standing here trying to be mad at you but you make it really hard sometimes. Why do you have to be so..."_ He trailed off in search of the right word. " _Altruistic_?"

I shrugged with a one sided smile. "Born this way, I suppose."

With that, Blue Eyes reached forward and pulled me closer, laying our foreheads on top of one another. I reached up and laid a hand on his neck and the other on his chest, cherishing the moments of closeness. He broke the embrace to lean forward to press his lips onto my own. I welcomed it, loving the slow way he kissed me. I felt chills travel up and down my spine, making the hair on the back of my neck stand slightly. Blue Eyes slung an arm around my waist and pressed me to him, the kiss suddenly turning heated. My arms wrapped around his neck as he kissed away my power of cognitive thought. When we pulled back, our foreheads rested against one another as we both panted.

"You're good at that.." He whispered.

"Look who's talking, Bear Boy." I whispered back breathlessly, turning to the nickname I had been teasing him with since we got back from the city.

Blue Eyes chuckled quietly, and I could feel his shoulders bob up and down under my hands for a moment. "I love you, Raina."

Butterflies combusted into being in my stomach when I heard him say my whole name. "I love you too, Blue Eyes."

"Rain?" He said after a moment of comfortable silence. I hummed in acknowledgement.

"Don't go back, into that hut. Please. Not while he's awake." He whispered.

I sighed and looked up into his glacial gaze. The look in his eye wasn't stern or angry like I would have expected, it was pleading. I looked away, biting my lip as I tried not to succumb to the adorable, hopeful gleam in his eye. But I sighed again, knowing that I wouldn't be able go unyielding. I clicked my tongue.

"Fine." I groaned lightly.

Blue Eyes exhaled. "Thank you."

I glared at him. "You're lucky you can be so cute." I grumbled.

Blue Eyes laughed and pulled me under his arm. I hugged him with one arm. We only stayed in that abandoned little hut for a few more minutes before walking out, with some space between us. But when we reached the area of the village where most congregated to see everyone facing Caesar's boulder, with Caesar himself standing on it, addressing the colony. It seemed we had missed much of the conversation.

_"...is the reason! We are not preparing for war! She has done only good, for apes. More humans wanted to come! Fight apes! Our human, stopped them. Rain stay, or Rain go, colony decide."_ Caesar spoke and signed.

I gasped. He had told them what I had done, and now I risked banishment or sanctuary. If they decided that they didn't want me here, if the majority of the colony's trust in me was shot to hell, I wouldn't be able to stay. I wanted to grab Blue Eyes' hand and squeeze, but it was a comfort I couldn't afford right now. Blue Eyes started to herd me through and around the crowds, getting us closer to where we could see most of the colony. Like last time, apes called out and waited for their turn. The first to speak for me was Brent.

" _Why should she go? She's been a great help, and she's a great person in general. The first thing she did when she got back was ask to help Obas treat the wounded. She's always trying to help everybody. I think she should stay_." He signed.

The next was Deja, which came as both a surprise and proud happiness. The poor girl was the epitome of shyness, and now she was speaking out in front of a huge majority of the colony for me. " _Rain is wonderful. I don't want her to go. This is her home and I wouldn't be able to look at it the same if she's not here. She's never done anything bad, she's been hurt but she doesn't let it stop her from moving on. I mean, anyone who's met her can agree she's kind and polite. Sometimes I forget she's human. She's more ape than human, I think_."

I gapped at her, not believing the kind words she had jut said about me. But before I could fully comprehend what she said, a series of hoots projected the agreement of another ape. My eyes went to the ape who had started signing in addition to what Deja had said. To my nervous apprehension, it was Thade.

" _I haven't spent as much time with human as some of you have, but I agree with the Oba. If you look past her human body, I see an ape. I as well see no reason why she would leave."_ He signed.

Maurice chuffed in agreement. " _Thade right. Oba right. Rain is a fine young girl. Why should her species dictate her future? She can't help being human any more than we can help being ape. I say she stays, if this is still her wish_."

Cornelia then started hooting, gaining the colony's attention. " _I agree wholeheartedly. I love Rain, I think she's wonderful. She's a good influence to the children and has a big heart. She's a beautiful girl and her personality makes her even more so. I am glad to be able to say not only is she my friend, but I'm glad to know how close she and my boys are. Those three are almost inseparable. So my answer is yes, I think she should stay_."

Hoots and barks and calls were echoing through the air, and with a look at most ape's body language, I determined this a good thing. I felt tears coming to my eyes as a smile stretched my lips. But they weren't done yet. After Caesar raised a hand for silence, Rocket spoke up, gaining the colony's attention. But he wasn't speaking to them.

" _Come on, Caesar. You've heard the people. We feel Rain is more than human. She is ape, too. Might as well make it official, should we not, old friend_?" He signed.

_Wait, what?_ I thought. _Does he mean..?_ I couldn't believe it what I was hearing. They weren't talking about... Were they? The hooting and calling started up again, but they were quickly silenced by our king. Caesar was silent for a moment, then glanced over to his wife. I seen her nod her head and beckon him to go on. I watched as Caesar's green gaze searched me out. When he found me, he gave a smile and beckoned me up with him. I took a step forward, but then nerves froze me in place. I glanced up at Blue Eyes and he gave me a reassuring smile and nudged me forward, nodding toward his father. I breathed in and walked forward, praying I didn't trip and fall. Butterflies flapped furiously in my tummy, their wings whipping up a windstorm of nervous excitement. I walked up to the boulder and stood at a respectful distance, wondering what exactly the king was going to do.

Caesar reached forward and placed his fingertips on my shoulder, and when he applied the slightest of pressure I knew what he wanted me to do. I kneeled down and supplicated, head inclined respectfully.

"From now on!" Caesar's voice boomed for all to hear. "Rain, is now ape! She lives with ape, she eats with ape, she climbs like ape...she is ape. Apes together strong!"

With that, Caesar hooked a hand under my jawline and prompted me to stand. When I was on my feet, he took me by the top of my skull and pulled me forward, pressing our foreheads together. I returned the gesture by grabbing onto the crook of his elbow as the colony hooted and cried out jubilantly. Caesar released me after maybe ten seconds. I smiled widely at him and thanked him, both verbally and with gestures. Caesar chuckled and clapped my shoulder lightly. Apes then swarmed up on the rock and started surrounding me, laying their hands over my body in welcome and excitement.

I returned the pats and caresses happily, even being tightly embraced by some. Deja and Brent got to me and the small bonobo let out an excited hoot before they both crushed me into a happy group hug. A few of the elders kissed my head and my arms and my hands, some even pressing their foreheads to mine for a second or two. I knew I socialized a lot but I hadn't realized that so many liked me enough to react like this. I didn't know why I was crying in happiness, but I was aware that a few tears had escaped. Soon I found myself in front of Blue Eyes, and this was one rare moment where we were allowed to show a little more affection in such a public setting. He drew me into his arms and hugged me tightly, both of us laughing and smiling. Blue Eyes was even bold enough to kiss the side of my skull.

But then I was handed off to more apes and this kept up for what felt like hours, but I knew it could be no more than a few minutes. No matter, I enjoyed every moment of it. I couldn't believe how easily they had accepted me back! And after all that worrying and stressing! I laughed when one of the last apes I found myself in front of was Cornelia. Her words of support and love came back to me and I eagerly accepted the embrace she swept me up into. We held onto each other for a long time, maybe around sixty seconds before pulling away. The queen stroked the side of my head, petting my hair as she smiled at me.

"So happy for you!" She said, her voice light and excited.

I laughed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I gasped.

Cornelia laughed at my reply and hugged me again. Soon the people calmed down some, but I got a shock when someone snuck up behind me. I jumped with a little scream of fright, whirling around and seeing Ash standing there laughing at me. He didn't look as stiff and his arm was still in a sling, but it wouldn't be for much longer now. I laughed and told him how happy I was to see him up and walking and smiling again. Soon his laughter sobered but his smile stayed.

" _So, did I tell you or did I tell you?"_ He signed with a smirk.

I quirked my head as Blue Eyes came to stand by my side. "Tell me what?"

" _It's awesome to be an ape_." Ash signed, waiting for me to understand.

I then remembered the day I actually met Ash. I had seen him once or twice before that day, but it hadn't been until Blue Eyes had taken me to the riverside that Ash and I made introductions. Our exchange on what it was like to be human and ape came back to me, and I laughed. Only he would think to apply that inside joke here. But I appeased him and nodded in agreement.

" _Didn't think I would remember that one, did you_?" Ash signed, seeming to read my mind.

I laughed. "It's not exactly shocking. How are you feeling?" I added, remembering his sling.

" _Sore. But at least I still have my looks_."

Blue Eyes and I chuckled at that. I found no evidence that my smile would be going away any time soon.

" _So, is anyone else hungry_?" Blue Eyes signed.

"Yes!" Ash gasped, causing Blue Eyes and I to laugh again. Ash had an insatiable appetite for food.

"Oh, that's right," I said to myself before turning to Blue Eyes. "How'd the hunt go?"

We walked toward where apes were starting to set up cook fires to roast freshly skinned and cleaned venison carcasses. The vegetables and things were already set up along the horizontal stone slab that laid to the side of the eating area. We went there to get an appetizer while we waited for the meat to cook.

" _It went well."_ Blue Eyes signed, and that seemed all he would say on the matter. But of course, there was no way Ash and I would let him get away with that.

" _Oh no, you're not getting away that easily_." Ash signed.

" _Yeah, cut the modesty, tell us what happened_." I added.

Blue Eyes tried to hide his smile as he looked away, shrugging his shoulders. Ash and I nudged the scarred chimp teasingly, goading him to tell us. He finally waved us away from him, signing, " _Fine, fine_."

" _So, what did you catch?"_ Ash and I signed in unison.

Blue Eyes tittered, trying to cover it up with an annoyed sigh. " _Five deer, four rabbits_."

Ash and I gasped, exchanging an excited glance. "Blue, that's great!" I said, smiling widely at such a successful hunt, and for his first one too.

" _Yeah, that's a great hunt, brother. Be proud_ " Ash agreed, reaching over and clapping Blue Eyes' shoulder.

" _We are."_ I added, indicating to Ash and myself.

Soon the meat was cooked and we were able to go get an actual dinner. We were joined by many apes soon into dinner and many of us were laughing signing with each other. Again, these apes had managed to turn my life around for the better. I couldn't think of anywhere else I would rather be.

-three months later-

Nerves were rattling through me, and I tried to distract myself by focusing on moving my hips with Zira's gait. The horse was being abnormally well-behaved, though I wasn't complaining, in fact, she picked a good day to not fuss. The colony knew about Koba, Caesar had told them before he told them what I had done for the colony. But there was something about him I had missed while I was away from the main courtyard.

The Obas had diagnosed Koba with amnesia.

He couldn't remember what had happened when he rebelled, and I heard he was having trouble recalling some of his past as well. At first I was skeptical, but I abided by my promise to Blue Eyes and stayed away from him. But about four days after he had woken up, he had ventured out into the village, Heloise staying diligently by Koba's side. This had been when he was reunited with his son. I had kept my distance but I also was curious as to what would happen, and a few other apes felt the same. So I stood in a group of apes not too far off, watching as everything played out.

All Harley had been told was that his father hurt his head and was having a hard time remembering some things, and I know Heloise had tried to warn him that if he didn't recognize him, it wasn't Koba's fault and he wasn't doing it to hurt his feelings. I felt a smudge of déjà vu at that, remembering what my mother had told me about my own father.

During the confrontation, Harley had loped up quickly at the sight of his absent father, but he sped to a stop before he reached him, suddenly feeling unsure. Heloise beckoned her son forward, and he inched up, his eyes never leaving Koba. The bonobo stared back at the little boy just as intensely, but his expression made it hard for me to decipher whether or not he knew who Harley was. But then the scarred bonobo spoke his son's name. Harley then shot himself into his father's arms, hugging the life out of him. Koba also remembered a few other apes, though only their names as well as an idea as to who they were to him.

Luckily, he didn't remember me.

Harley had wanted to know if his father knew who I was, obviously not knowing the hatred Koba had for my kind. But before anyone could stop him, he'd dragged his father to me and jumped into my arms, asking excitedly if he knew who I was. Up close, I realized Koba wasn't as old as some of his scars made him seem, though I suspected he might have been somewhere between Caesar and Maurice's ages. And he wasn't nearly as frightening when he wasn't glaring at me like he could think of nothing better than to skewer me on his harpoon and dangle me above a bear's head. Blue Eyes definitely wasn't happy about it, but I spoke with Koba and Heloise for a good while that day, under the watchful eye of many. To my unsettled surprise, Koba wasn't rude or mean to me at all, albeit he was a bit distant. But it was much better than I ever would have expected. I wondered exactly how much of his past he couldn't remember. It was puzzling, but I wasn't going to complain.

I was pulled out of my train of thought by Caesar's grunt. I looked at him with my head quirked inquisitively.

" _I was thinking, your father might want to see your brother's grave. If you like, you can take them to see him_." Caesar signed from atop his own horse.

My lips parted in surprise. I hadn't even thought of that. At the moment, I was on my way with Caesar, Blue Eyes, Maurice, Rocket and a few other council members to see Malcolm, Ellie and Alexander. By now, most of the colony knew about the shocking revelation I had had during our refuge in that old Victorian house. No one really seemed to have a problem with that, thank goodness.

I smiled gratefully at Caesar. " _I think he would like that too. Thank you very much, Caesar_."

The king nodded and returned my smile. I felt a touch on the back of my shoulder and turned to meet Rocket's bright green orbs.

" _Nervous_?" He signed, a light, almost teasing smile on his face.

"Can you tell?" I asked quietly, a slightly embarrassed grin on my face as my shoulders rose up shyly.

" _A little bit."_ The warrior answered.

My attention was captured by Blue Eyes' beckoning grunt." _Nothing to worry about. Aren't you excited_?"

" _Of course I'm excited, but...I don't know why I'm so apprehensive. I'm all jittery_." I said and signed.

" _This is the first time since the city that you are seeing your other family. From what I hear, you are not used to having a father. Maybe that's why you are nervous_." Maurice signed.

"You're probably right." I murmured back.

Soon after our conversation, the old gravel road we were traveling on opened up to reveal the Golden Gate Bridge. I drew in a deep breath to calm the rest of my nerves as I listened to the steady rhythm of Zira's hooves on the concrete road of the bridge. The sun was burning away the last of the morning fog quilting the crimson monument, showing the scattered car skeletons dotting the bride. I tried not to think about the city just a few yards away.

Rocket let out a few hoots, raising a hand and pointing. I followed his gaze and seen a particular truck that struck me as familiar. Then I recognized the figures around it as my dad, my brother and my aunt. I heard Alex's excited call before he jogged over to us. I smiled and hopped down from Zira's back. Alexander slowed his walk and held out his arms for me.

"There's my baby sister." Alex said as he wrapped me up in his embrace. I giggled when he called me that, and as he let me go, he greeted the apes, sounding happy to see them as well.

I didn't get time to keep up with the conversation, for I was pulled into a tight hug by Ellie. I smiled and returned it before getting handed off to Malcolm. He kissed the top of my head before letting me go. He smiled down at me, and I noticed him scanning me over.

"You look more and more like your mother every time I look at you." He murmured. I smiled brightly at him before looking down for a moment, controlling the emotion that suddenly sprinkled into my eyes.

"I miss her." I murmured.

Dad drew me under his arm and gave me another hug. "I miss her too, squeaker."

"Would you...would you have gotten back together with my mother if she...if she had lived?" I asked.

Dad stared down at me in silence for a few seconds while he thought about my question. he drew in a deep sigh. "I don't know. I asked her again and again, but she always asked for more time to think about it. I like to think she would have said yes, though."

I nodded. "I hope she would have, too." Then I peeked up as something else came to mind.

"My mom was pregnant when Dax and I left. The baby...was it..?" I trailed off.

Malcolm nodded slowly, confirming that the baby had been his.

I sighed and stayed quiet and still for a moment. "I wish at least one of them could have lived. How did they die? I never really got to find out, I just assumed..."

Malcolm sighed again. "She went into labor earlier than expected. The doctors had to rush her into emergency care. They were in the operating room for hours, and then when the doctor came out...he said she and the baby had passed away." I could hear how much strain he was putting on his voice to keep from shaking. I sniffed and hugged him, knowing that not only was this his love he was talking about, but also his childhood best friend.

"They didn't even let us see her body before she was cremated..." I turned at Alex's voice.

I turned to look at my older brother, shaking my head slightly in confusion. "Why not? That's not right."

Alexander shrugged. "Too late now." And while I thought that was odd, he was right, and there was nothing anyone could do now.

Pushing the thought away, I sucked in a deep breath and sighed, trying to relax my mind. "While we're on the topic of dead relatives." I said, waiting for their attention. I glanced at Caesar to see him nod encouragingly.

"Would you like to go visit Dax?" I invited.

There was a pause. "What?" Ellie asked, finding her voice first.

I glanced to Blue Eyes, and he gave me a reassuring smile. I felt a rush of gratitude and unexpected strength, and I internally thanked Blue Eyes for that. I would need it.

"We buried him in the forest. I visit him every few days or so. I can show you the place." I said.

Malcolm and Ellie exchanged a glance, and then looked back at me, nodding slowly. "Is that okay?" Ellie asked, looking to Caesar.

"Yes." The king answered, beckoning then to the tree line with a nod of his head.

All three of them got appreciative smiles on their faces. I walked back to Zira, who had been sniffing at the weeds in the cracks in the road. She lifted her head and nickered at me, nuzzling my hand in search of a treat. I pulled myself up onto her withers and looked back at the three humans.

"Are you coming or...?" I asked after a few seconds hesitation on their part.

They snapped back into reality, and Alex was the first to follow as the apes turned their horses around walked forward a few feet. I steered Zira around, though I had to work to keep her head straight as she kept trying to turn and eye the humans as they followed beside us. When we reached the forest, Blue Eyes dismounted for some reason. I looked on in confusion, but it soon turned into a smile. He was inviting Ellie to use his horse.

"Oh...thank you, but..I don't know to ride a horse." Ellie said, seeming embarrassed by her lack of skill.

"I'll lead it for you." Blue Eyes offered, making sure she didn't want to reconsider.

"It's easy Aunt Ellie, just hold on to the mane." I encouraged.

"Well...if you're sure it's no trouble, thank you very much." Ellie smiled.

Malcolm helped her up, and I told her to move her hips with the horse's gait, to make it easier on the horse and her. Once she was settled, Blue Eyes guided the horse by its reigns through the trees. It took maybe twenty or thirty minutes to reach the gravesite. I took in the beautiful clearing, my gaze instinctively roaming to the base of the massive Redwood tree. Grass had sprouted, covering the once disturbed soil in a fuzzy blanket. I slowly dropped off of Zira, and moved to her head to stroke her snout as I watched Malcolm, Alex and Ellie. It wasn't hard for them to figure out where my brother was buried.

"This place is beautiful." I heard Ellie whisper after Blue Eyes helped her down from his horse.

Malcolm slowly approached the patch of grass that grew more thickly over Dax's grave, and dropped down to his knees, almost nervously. Blue Eyes joined my side as a forlorn frown came across my features. I seen Malcolm's lips move as he spoke, but I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I supposed that was a good thing. Those words were for father and son only. Alex seemed apprehensive about approaching, so he settled for going to stand beside Blue Eyes and I.

"Dax is...really under there?" He murmured, watching the thick patch of grass intently, as if he expected our brother's hand to erupt from the ground and pull the rest of him out. I nodded in answer.

"How did he die, exactly?" He whispered.

Blue Eyes put a hand on my shoulder to lend me some strength, and I laid my own hand over his fingers as I spoke the name of my brother's reaper.

"Pneumonia."

"Hasn't he had that before..?" Alex asked, tearing his eyes away from the grave.

I paused. "Yeah."

"I remember. It hit him hard." Alex nodded absentmindedly. "He beat it before, I don't get it." He muttered, looking back at where

I looked down and bit my lip. "It was my fault. He should've, but he didn't and it's my fault." I gave in to that nagging guilt that still hit me after all this time. What could I have done to make him live?

Blue Eyes grunted and drew me under his arm, glaring at me slightly as he signed, " _Don't say that. It wasn't your fault, it was his time to go_."

"Rain? What do you mean? Blue Eyes? Is she okay?" Alex fretted seeing how I was clenching my eyes closed, trying to hold back tears.

Blue Eyes maneuvered us so he could stand a bit closer to Alex. "She stayed by his side, the whole time. She helped treat the sickness. But in the end, no one could, do anything." He explained, trying to keep his voice low.

Alex nodded in understanding as I swept away the stray tear that had escaped. Alexander stepped toward me and rubbed the back of my shoulder sympathetically.

"That must have been so hard. You're such a good little sister. I don't think it's your fault, sometimes people go earlier than expected. There's nothing anyone could have done." Alex murmured.

I looked up at him from under slightly damp lashes. "Do you think he's mad at me? There must have been _something_..." I trailed off with a hiccup.

Blue Eyes grunted in disapproval before Alex quickly answered, "Hey! Come on, this is _Dax_ we're talking about. He could never be mad at you, at least not for long. Rain, he adored you. Remember that time he pulled you onto the floor and wouldn't stop hugging you while talking about how adorable you are? That was right after you snuck out to go to the orphanage. He was mad at you about that, but then the next day he was hugging and fanboying over you. That man could never have anything but smiles for you, that's why he gave you that name sign, right?"

I giggled at some of the memories he conjured up. When he referred to my name sign, he meant because it's the sign for 'smile' with the index and middle fingers overlapped in the 'R' hand. I sniffed and swiped my cheeks of any excess salt water. "I guess so."

"Good, so no more crying, we hate it when you cry." Alex said.

I giggled again and looked down. "You guys are sweet."

"Here that Blue Eyes? We're sweet." Alex smiled.

Blue Eyes chuckled and reluctantly took his arm off of my shoulders. I looked over to see Ellie now crouching in front of the grave, just staring down at the grass. After a quick scan of the clearing I found Malcolm speaking with Caesar and the few council members who had tagged along. I looked to Alex.

"You know, you can go over there," I motioned to Dax's grave. "He's not gonna bite. At least not anymore." I added.

Alex gave a small titter at my joke but he had a worried expression as he gazed at the thick patch of grass. "I don't know...I want to but..."

"What's the problem, bro?" I asked.

"I don't know. Do I say anything or...?" Alex ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"Not if you don't want to. You can just say hi or something, really it's all up to you." I answered. "You know, he always thought of you as a brother." I added.

Alex looked down at me. "Really?"

I nodded. "Dax didn't let just anyone wear his beanies." I said, referring to the times when Dax would lend Alexander a few beanies when it got cold because he knew Alex hated it when his ears went numb. It was why he wore his hood so much.

I nodded. "Go on." I encouraged. He tried to hide how big his smile got as he excused himself and went to the grave. Ellie was now with Malcolm and Caesar's council members.

"I like him." Blue Eyes said after Alex left earshot.

"I'm glad." I said. "Because um...he might want to talk to you soon." I added, remembering my conversation with my brother back at Caesar's old house. Blue Eyes looked at me.

"What does he want to, talk to me about?" He asked.

"Well, um, you remember that night, back at the house? In the room?" I asked quietly, glad no one was in ear shot but our horses.

The face Blue Eyes made would have made me laugh had we not been having a bit of a serious conversation.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well...um, he might have, sort of...saw us." I murmured, biting my lip.

If I thought the first face Blue Eyes made was funny, this one was hilarious, but still I didn't have the willpower to laugh.

"What do you mean-? You couldn't find, any better time than, this to tell me?" He broke off from what he was going to say so he could ask a question he deemed better for the moment.

"I'm sorry, I meant to tell you, I promise. I just kept forgetting.." I gave him an apologetic look as my shoulders hunched up.

He looked at me, huffed in annoyance, and looked away. He kept glancing at me through his peripheral vision, and I refused to stop my apologetic look. He huffed again and loosely crossed his arms over his chest as he faced me again.

" _Would you stop that_?" He signed before speaking, though I could see he wanted to raise his voice over the quiet murmur it was at. "I'm trying to be annoyed at you, and you're standing there being adorable. Must you make, everything so hard, for me?"

I couldn't help but smile at his words. "At least I remembered now." I said.

Blue Eyes gave a sarcastic snort, which made me laugh. I held eye contact, waiting for the mock frown he was wearing to disappear. It worked very soon, and I could see the smile I loved again. I had to break eye contact when I noticed Zira stretching out her neck with her teeth pulled back, looking to bring them down on Blue Eyes' turned shoulder. I nodded my head toward her in warning, and Blue Eyes jumped forward, turning around with a huff. Zira's teeth clamped down with a _Clack!_ around the air where Blue Eyes once stood. She snapped her neck back with a small sound of innocence, her ears turned sideways and backward.

I did what any responsible horse rider would do in such a situation and laughed. Blue Eyes glared at me. I continued to laugh as I took Zira's reigns in hand and backed her up a few steps. I didn't give her a pat or rub her nose real quick like I wanted to, because I knew that in the long run it wouldn't be wise to promote bad behavior. The commotion drew the attention of everyone else, so they decided to come over and see what was going on. But I noticed a few council members riding away toward the village. I was still smiling when they got to us, and I had no way to hide it.

"It wasn't that funny." Muttered Blue Eyes when he noticed my smile wasn't going any where.

I tried to stop the giggles as they started up again. "It kind of was."

"What?" Malcolm asked, a smile starting to tug the corner of his mouth.

"Zira tried to bite him." I pointed to the horse from older my shoulder. I noticed the tremble of Rocket's shoulders as he concealed his own laughter.

"Zira?" Alex asked.

"Rain's four-legged devil- I mean, her horse." Blue Eyes corrected himself.

"Careful, she probably won't miss the next time." I warned, trying not to laugh for Zira's sake.

As if to prove a point, Zira let out a snort. I turned to glance at the star-splotched mare, and as soon as she realized she had my attention, she walked forward and started nuzzling my shoulder, nickering softly. I lifted a hand and gave her neck a few pats and strokes while Zira licked up the attention as she nuzzled me, getting excited enough to practically shove me with her nose.

"You see that? That's how it is!" Blue Eyes said, motioning to Zira and I. "Horse hates everyone but her."

I laughed again. "I don't know what you're talking about." Our banter seemed to be amusing the adults (and Alex), for they were laughing at us. I even heard a few baritone chuckles from Maurice.

"Oh! Oh, before I forget!" Alex suddenly said, an excited highness to his voice. He dug into his satchel that held his sketch materials and pulled out a book with a laminated book cover over it. "We found this, figured you'd like it." He handed it to me.

I looked down at the ordinary leather bound book, noticing it was sort of thick. "Is this..?"

"Scrap book." Alex nodded. "I think you'll have fun with it, I did."

I looked up at my dad and brother. "Thank you." My voice almost cracked, but I brushed that aside as I stepped up to hug them. They returned the hug and I stepped back. We spent about two hours sitting by Dax's grave, talking and reminiscing and telling the apes a few stories of things that had happened in my old tiny apartment. But soon it was time for them to return to the city, my father had new responsibilities.

I learned that the people of the colony had noticed how well Malcolm helped the colony recover. He had been hands on in helping to recover the wounded and helping to find places for families to stay, now that the tower was destroyed in many places. He was also able to tell the people why the apes had attacked, giving them the agreed upon alibi. Malcolm said that many repented 'Carver's' actions and even seemed ashamed to be the cause of such crisis. This had been a great surprise to me. About a month ago, they had held elections as to who would take Dreyfus' place in the colony. My father had been nominated, and Ellie as well as a few friends of his convinced him to accept the nomination.

And he won the election. He was now Chief Maddock.

To say I was surprised was an understatement, but I had been happy for him nonetheless. I liked the title, it had a nice ring to it.

"Before we go, we have one more thing to discuss." Dad said when we reached the trucks. Ellie joined him after Blue Eyes helped her down from his horse again. I quirked my head at his statement, waiting for him to continue.

"We've decided to put together an official peace treaty between the human and ape colonies. We were hoping to have you and Ellie as ambassadors." He said.

My lips parted in shock. "Really?" I looked to Caesar.

"None of us, want fighting. I think it is, a good idea." Caesar nodded, Maurice chuffed in agreement.

I smiled happily. "That's great!" I said, feeling happy that I didn't have to worry anymore if a human should find out about my residence with the apes. I agreed to becoming an ambassador, seeing why he asked me. It would be easier if the chief's daughter was a peacekeeper. Ellie would handle most things from the human end of this deal, and I would do the same on the ape side. There was no official documentation yet, but there would be.

Caesar and Malcolm agreed on a next meeting, so I didn't feel as bad about our next parting. I'd see them again soon enough. I gave Ellie, Alex and Malcolm their own long hugs, and then they got in their truck. But not before Alex could slip in a Pocahontas reference, which I played off with an eye roll and a sarcastic laugh. The ride back home was filled with small hoots and breathy grunts as Rocket, Caesar and Maurice and Blue Eyes signed back in forth with each other, but I stayed near the back of the pack, holding the scrapbook against my midriff with one arm and held Zira's reigns with the other.

I was trying to fight the urge to look through the scrapbook now, but I knew that if I did, I probably wouldn't be able to keep up with the others, or Zira would wander away with me. Blue Eyes seemed to notice my absence, and I was lifted out of my thoughts when his horse's hoof kicked a borderline rock sized pebble. I looked to the side to meet his inquisitive pale blue orbs.

" _You okay?"_ He asked.

I nodded. " _I'm fine_."

Blue Eyes didn't really seem to believe me, so he lifted his hands and signed, " _Didn't I promise you a camping trip_?"

My brows rose a little as I remembered what he had said months ago. The corner of my mouth tipped upwards as I remembered how comically he had suggested the idea. We hadn't been able to since we were all still trying to rebuild and forget about what had happened, but we all felt how much smaller the colony had gotten since those fateful days. It was still by no means small, but I could see that not everyone had the same day-to-day contented-ness we had once had. Another reason was the nightmares I had been experiencing. I thought about Blue Eyes' suggestion again and decided that if I did have a nightmare tonight, Blue Eyes would be there for me.

I gave him a small smile. " _Yeah, I think you did_."

Blue Eyes smiled back, glancing up at the adults, but they were too engaged in their own conversations to pick up on ours. " _I think Wes has guard duty tonight. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to get him to keep quiet_." He signed.

I nodded. _"Okay."_

" _Great, I'll come pick you up after the torches are doused_." He signed, a smile on his face.

We soon made it back to the village, and I was greeted by a school of children. I slid off Zira's back and greeted them the best I could while making sure Zira didn't act up.

"Okay, okay, just let me put Zira with the herd okay?" I said as they kept nagging me to come with them to do God knows what. They trailed after me, and I made a point to put myself between Zira and them, knowing that their parents probably wouldn't want their children so close to the 'devil mare' as she was still called. I didn't exactly like the nickname, but I understood it, Zira was a lot to handle.

I closed the gate to the pasture and turned back to the children at my heels. An energetic young female climbed up my legs and into my arms. I was relieved she hadn't pulled down any of my clothes when she was pulling her weight up. She was getting a bit old to be carried, but I allowed her to hitch a ride of my back as I let the rest drag me back to wherever they wanted to go.

I ended up being able to drop off my scrapbook at my hollow before the kids dragged me towards the area Maurice and the other teachers usually reserved for schooling, which was an open crevice under an overhang of the cliff Home Tree sat on. Luckily school was out of session for the moment, and I got a chance to play with the children and gain some new friends. We had tickle fights and drew pictures in the patches of loose dirt with sticks here and there, and I was asked by a shy little boy if I would teach him how to pronounce certain words, which in turn turned into a mini-lesson on verbal speech.

I turned it into a game, whoever could rhyme a string of words, no matter how short or long, the quickest won an extra totem stone I had back at my hollow. The winner happened to be the young male who started the whole thing, and I found out his name was Pericles, Peri for short. I went and grabbed the stone for him.

We continued on with our games until the communal supper time arrived. It came much sooner than I had expected, but I soon got the children ushered off to find their parents. I joined Ash and Blue Eyes along with a few other apes by a cook fire soon after with a plate of food.

" _Have fun with the kiddies, Angel_?" Ash teased, making use of his newly sling-free arm. (ITALICS)

"In fact I did." I answered, straightforward.

" _Maybe we should put you on babysitting duty more often_." A young bonobo joked.

" _Sounds good to me."_ I signed back humorously. I had babysat a lot recently, schooling was usually postponed or sessions were shorter because many teachers were putting themselves to work in helping to rebuild the colony. So were many parents, so, I usually hung out with the younger apes as well as a few females to make sure they stayed out of the way.

Dinner continued on this way and afterward, I hung out with Ash and Blue Eyes until the torches around the village started going out. This was normally the time that most apes turned in, so with a glance between me and Blue Eyes, I excused myself to my hollow. I lit some of my lamps and started working on a bone bead necklace I had started a few weeks ago. It was going to take a while to finish, so usually at night I worked on carving the intricate little designs into the bone with a fine tipped knife.

I did this for about an hour before a warning hoot sounded and Blue Eyes entered. I climbed out of my hammock and took notice of the small animal skin pack slung over his shoulder.

" _You ready_?" He signed.

I nodded. _"Yeah."_

He held out his hand to me, beckoning me to him. I reached out and we brushed our fingers over each other's as we slipped through the vine curtain. It was very dark throughout the village, only a few torches lit here and there to illuminate the darkness. I was a little on edge, I had never snuck out before. I wasn't even sure if this qualified as sneaking out. But I trusted Blue Eyes, and I knew that he and Ash used to sneak out when they were younger, so I hoped he knew what he was doing.

We walked down through the open ceiling coroner to the gates, careful and low to the ground in case any Gorilla Guards were looking out from the hollowed out rooms that were built into the corridor. We made it through without incident, though I got slightly nervous when it was time to pass Wes, who was on guard duty tonight.

But the young gorilla only gave us a glance and pulled back his shoulders as he gazed upward at the sky. I quirked my head at this but stayed silent, supposing maybe Blue Eyes spoke with him earlier. We finally relaxed once we got past the ravine, out of sight of the village.

"So where are we going?" I whispered as the crickets let their little songs out into the air.

"You probably, already know." He whispered back as he took my hand again, leading me through the massive tree trunks. I glanced at him before taking in our surroundings. The forest looked different in the dark, the moonlight casting a silver sheen to everything. But I knew these woods well, and I recognized the path he was taking us down. We were going to our valley.

It took longer than usual to get there, since we had no equine aid this time. We climbed up the ridge, Blue Eyes never letting go of me as we ascended. I thought he was babying me, but he refused to let me climb up myself. His defense was that it was too dark and there were too many loose stones to slip on.

"Then your brother, would really have, some words for me." He said.

I laughed at that. "I can think of a few he might choose to use." I replied.

Trying to hide his chuckle, Blue Eyes led me up and over the ridge. He continued to help me down the other side. I internally sighed and bit back the urge to tell him I was a big girl, because I knew he was only trying to help me. When we got to ground level, he didn't dote me so much. We decided to go into the cave, and Blue Eyes collected some firewood before entering. But I didn't want to wait, so I went into the cavern without him.

I looked around the glowing plant life in awe. Every time I came in here it was like the first time all over again. Minus the initial anxiety I had had. I looked to the little lagoon the waterfall constantly fed, and smiled, remembering what had conspired the last time I had been here. I drifted near the edge of the pool, looking up into the waterfall. I noticed something peculiar about the rock where the water fell from, it seemed almost...concave. Taking a few steps closer confirmed my suspicion. There was an air pocket behind the waterfall. A cave behind a waterfall in another cave. But this wasn't really a cave, it was more like a hollow, hidden by a slab of rock that stood solidly behind the water fall. It was then that I heard my name called, echoing through the cavern's acoustics.

"Blue Eyes! Come look at this." I called, waving an arm to get his attention and motion him over to me.

He set down the sticks and tinder he had collected and gazed into the hidden hollow. More of the glowing moss lined the perimeter, and a dim light emanated a little from the middle, but it was mostly darkly lit. Soft looking soil was spread out a little on the ground, untouched and dry. Water from the waterfall hadn't reached the hollow, and it remained relatively dry except for a little condensation on the ceiling from the waterfall. I glanced at Blue Eyes to try to get a read on his thoughts, and he seemed to like it, from what little he let leak through his usual mask.

"It's so pretty." I whispered when I turned back to the little hollow. I heard a little breath puff from Blue Eyes' nose and looked at him again. All he did was scan my face before meeting my eyes with a soft expression.

"What?" I asked, biting my lip self consciously.

His light hues flicked to my lip again and he smiled softly when he met my gaze again. "You're beautiful." He murmured.

The way he looked at me caused a blush to dust my cheeks as I looked down, attempting to hide both my smile and my blush behind my hair. But Blue Eyes merely stepped in front of me and cupped my face, making me lift my head from behind the veil of my hair. No words were spoken, but they didn't need to be, not with the way he was looking at me. He loved me and I loved him. I leaned forward and laid my forehead against his, and he adjusted his arms so one coiled around my waist and the other splayed out his fingers on the side of my head.

"I really, want to kiss you. Right now." He murmured as his stroked my temple with his thumb.

"Then why don't you?" I asked, feeling an excited burst of giddiness at the prospect of his kiss.

"Okay, you have convinced me. I am no match for your, feminine charms. My attempts to flee are futile, you have ensnared me." He said, his pale eyes shining with mirth.

I laughed at his act. "Just shut up and kiss me."

He wasted no more time in pressing his mouth to mine and tightening his grip on my waist. We started off slow and smooth, and I lifted my arms from where they had been laying lightly on his chest to wrap around his neck. This went on for what felt like an eternity, before he deepened the kiss. I let out a small noise of approval before I found myself pressed up against the rock wall. Blue Eyes' hands roamed up and down my thighs for a moment before slipping up under the hem of the dress I wore. His hands were leaving fire in their wake everywhere he touched me.

**(Mature content ahead. Viewer discretion advised)**

I let my arms drop from where I had been clinging to him and lifted up the hem, pulling the skin hugging garment up over my head. Blue Eyes went right back in where we had left off, the kiss turning hungry and hot. I whimpered into his mouth as his hands sent pleasurable shivers through my body. I was caught off-guard by the answering growl. It was deep toned and made his chest rumble against mine as our bodies pressed together. One hand held onto my hip bone, while the other reached up to cup a breast. I gave a little cry when he squeezed it, and the jolt of pleasure he gave me when he ducked under the cup of the bra caused me to return his kiss with even more fervor.

He growled out his approval and gave me another squeeze. Soon after this started, I found myself on the ground, laying under him as he kissed me to oblivion. Soon I started to get annoyed with my bra, it wasn't sitting right on me and now did nothing but irritate my skin, I broke the kiss for a moment and arched my back up into Blue Eyes as I reached under myself and unhooked the latch. He took the moments it took me to do it and laid little kisses and nips over my skin, from my neck to my collar bone to lower. He paused and drew back a little, gazing down at me. I panted as I attempted to get back the breath I had been denied during our activities as I turned away, my forearms lifting themselves consciously.

Blue Eyes gave a small grunt and took my wrists in a hand, moving them away. My breath hitched a bit as the cold air caused my nipples to harden when he removed the warmth of my arms. He used his other hand to turn my head back to him. "You're so beautiful." He leaned down and kissed me. "I love you."

"I love you." I murmured into his mouth, not bothering to break the kiss. His hands found my breast again and I whimpered in pleasure as he played with my body. I panted lightly as he trailed a line of kisses down my throat and to the nape of my neck, leaving love bites every so often. His hands started roaming again, and I suddenly felt myself unable to breathe when he started pulling at the waistbands of my panties. He hooked his fingers under them and tugged down slightly, but not much. He looked to me for approval before doing anything further, and through a pink blush I nodded.

He leaned down and laid another kiss on my lips as I lifted my hips for him. I felt the fabric slide down my legs and off my feet. His hand ran up and down my thighs as he continued to kiss me. He hooked his hands under my knees and spread them apart, moving in between them. I clung to Blue Eyes tightly as he kissed my jawline. Suddenly we slowed and paused, laying out foreheads against one another as we panted. I opened my eyes and gazed up at him, still trying to draw in the breath I had abandoned. He met eyes steadily.

"Sure...you want this?" He whispered breathily.

I nodded slightly, giving a little 'uh-huh' of confirmation. "I love you." I whispered.

"I love you, Bird." He replied quietly, laying a soft kiss down on my lips. It was then I felt something touch me, and we both simultaneously adjusted our hips. He kept kissing me, deepening it to distract me before thrusting his hips forward. I let out a squeak at the pain, and Blue Eyes pulled his mouth away from mine for a moment to shush me, staying as still as possible. I bit my lip and clenched my eyes closed as pain shot through me in a way I had never felt before. I drew in a deep breath and prepared to wait it out.

When it started to ebb considerably, I gave my hips an experimental wiggle, and gasped at the ripple of pleasure it caused. I also earned a low grunt from Blue Eyes, and I nodded up at his questioning gaze. He leaned down and gave me another kiss, thrusting his hips gently. I let out a little moan at the pulses of pleasure that started coursing through me. Our mouths separated only to let out breathy cries in unison. I clung onto Blue Eyes as he dipped his face into my nape, growling softly.

The sound and feel of his body rumbling above me drove another moan from my lips. He started gaining speed, and soon Blue Eyes gathered me up into his arms and pulled me upright. I found myself straddling his lap as he pulled me up and down, our foreheads laying against one another's. Gasps and shivers wracked my body as I wrapped my arms around Blue Eyes' neck. Little grunts and groans and growls kept shaking his chest.

His lips attacked my neck every so often, and I could feel every time his mouth left my skin that he was pulling his lips back, baring his teeth as he continued to thrust. My breath hitched in my throat when I felt him hit a certain spot that caused a jolt to go through me, and right after I got my breathing straightened out, another moan ripped through me. Blue Eyes' name left my lips as I clung onto him. His thrusting started to speed up and became a little more erratic, and when he laid me down on my back again, I got an idea of what was coming.

We carried on like this for maybe ten minutes before I started feeling a spring in my tummy starting to coil and tighten seemingly beyond possibility. I whimpered out Blue Eyes' name again and dug my face into his neck, clenching my jaw as I whimpered and gasped at the pleasure rolling through me. Blue Eyes started hitting the spot he got to before, and I couldn't handle the stimulation for very long. The spring inside me suddenly snapped and threw me over the edge and I let out a cry. My back arched off the ground, pressing my chest into Blue Eyes'. He let out a growl that turned into a grunt, and I felt the heat of him spilling inside me. I gasped and let out a small moan as a quiver went through me.

Blue Eyes pulled out and slumped over me, using his arms to keep his weight from hurting me. We both panted as he rolled off and onto his side. I turned over to face him as I tried to stop the shaking in my hands. Blue Eyes reached out and I scooted closer to him, cuddling into the warmth of his chest. He planted a kiss on my head, and I nuzzled into his chest as it still heaved slightly.

**(EXPLICIT CONTENT OVER. ITS SAFE NOW)**

"I love you.." I mumbled into his neck.

"I love you." He tightened his grip around my waist, adjusting us so I could lay more comfortably on the hard floor. "You're mine."

"All yours." I sighed, scooting closer to reach my neck up to kiss his jaw. He laid another kiss on the top of my head before I relaxed fully into his embrace. I felt safe and secure, and the sound of his breathing and heartbeat lulled me into slumber, and for the first night in almost three months, I wasn't plagued by nightmares.


	21. Chapter 21

When I woke up, warmth was wrapped around me as a waterfall played in the white noise of the background. I opened my odd colored eyes to see Blue Eyes gazing down at me through half lidded eyes, his hand was stroking up and down my spine. The dim blue-green glow cast a turquoise sheen to his face and dark fur. I breathed in deep and rolled so my shoulder blades were pressing into the loose soil under us, but my side was still pressed against him.

"What time is it?" I covered my mouth as I yawned.

"Need to go soon. We have to be back, by dawn." He murmured as his finger trailed up my shoulder to stroke my jawline.

I leaned into his touch. "How soon?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On why you want to know."

I smirked. "Are you implying what I think you're implying?"

He returned the smirk. "Maybe."

I leaned up and kissed him. Blue Eyes' hand moved up to hold my cheek as his other arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me close to him. He rolled on top of me and moved between my legs. Twenty minutes later, we were laying wrapped up in each other's embrace. We needed to leave the valley soon, the sun was on its way and it would be best if we were back in the village before most woke up for the day. But that was harder than it seemed.

"We have to go." I groaned, not wanting to get off the ground.

"You get up first." He whined back.

"No, you get up first."

Blue Eyes sucked in a deep breath and let out a whiny growl, his whole body deflating as he let out the air he had drawn in.

"Where are my clothes?" I asked, craning my head and shoulders to glance behind me, though I didn't leave his arms.

"Who cares? Don't need them." He muttered.

"Yeah I do." I mumbled back, hiding my face under his chin.

"Nope. I don't mind this." He ran his hand from between my shoulder blades to down my back and down the back of my legs.

"I'm sure you don't." I answered, feeling a smile tug at my lips.

"Ditch the clothes." He mumbled, giving a light squeeze to the back of my neck, sending chills up into my hairline.

I shook my head slightly. "Only you get to see me like this." I whispered before giving his lips a peck. I finally pulled myself away from him and turned, looking through the dim plant-glow for my discarded clothes. I had a hard time finding the bra and panties due to their dark colors, but I managed well enough. After I pulled them on, I looked to the floor where I'd pushed my dress, and found it gone.

"Blue." I groaned with a smirk, making eye contact with his cerulean orbs.

"Yes?" He asked, acting innocent and clueless.

I sighed and put a hand on my hip. "Give it."

"Come get it." He sat up and held a hand behind his back.

I walked forward and straddled his waist, taking his face into my hands and leaning down to kiss him. His hands immediately went to my waist and I took that chance to reach behind him while he was distracted. My fingers probed the area behind him until they brushed against the familiar natural fabric. I couldn't grab it while my arms were hanging over his broad shoulders, so I pushed him down onto his back and snatched the dress to the side before he could land on it. I let myself focus on the kiss for a moment before pulling away and sitting up, smirking down at him as I held up the dress. Blue Eyes' face dropped in surprise and he propped himself up on his elbows, glancing behind him before looking back up at me, clearly surprised. Laughter bubbled from my lips as I got off him and pulled the dress over my head and adjusted it. Blue Eyes huffed half heartedly and stood up. He picked up the pack he had been carrying and slung it over his shoulder as he led me out of the cave.

"What's in the bag?" I asked.

"Blanket. I was going to lay it down, for us to sleep on. But I got distracted." He added with a smirk.

I smiled back as he took my hand in his. "We should probably hurry back."

Blue Eyes grunted in agreement. We quickly exited the valley and carefully picked our way down the foothills. Little to no light seeped through the thick canopy, but I knew we didn't have as long as I would have liked before the sun cast its shining shadow over the village.

"Let's go through the trees. It'll be faster." I suggested.

I looked down at me, worry flicking in his sky infused hues. _"You sure?"_ He signed.

I nodded. "Let's go." I encouraged, already making my way to a young pine tree. I jumped up and took hold of a low hanging branch, pulling myself up. I made my way among the strong smelling needles until I was high enough to transition into a young redwood. Blue Eyes met with me in the red tree's boughs, keeping close to my side. We jumped along the branches, playing like squirrels from time to time. Traveling like this, we cut the trip to fifteen minutes. Blue Eyes redirected me right before the Gates came into sight. I was confused by this, but he told me to follow him.

I got a little antsy, but complied. I hoped he would hurry with whatever he wanted to do, we had to get back inside. He surprised me when he pulled aside a loose log that fenced in the village from the forest. He motioned for me to squeeze through, and I nodded. It was a secret entrance. I easily slipped through the gap, but Blue Eyes' broad shoulders and stocky build gave him much trouble. I helped him wedge himself through, and he grunted when he was finally on the inside of the fence.

_"That used to be easier."_ He signed as he put the wood back in place.

_"Then you must have gotten bigger."_ I signed back.

_"Is that an underlying comment I hear?"_ He grinned back at me. We were in a little patch of abandoned huts and homes, so we were free to be a little flirtatious. At least while signing.

_"Might be."_ I replied, smirking up at him as he drew me under his arm.

He kissed my head and we sat down for a quick grooming session. I was grateful he was able to untangle the little knots in my hair. I didn't have to do much for Blue Eyes' fur, really I was just smoothing it out. But then we made the mistake of getting trapped in each other's gaze, and I was struck by butterflies at the amount of emotion shining in those beautiful oceanic orbs. We leaned forward and shared a slow, short kiss before our foreheads rested against each other. I couldn't pull away without going for another kiss, this one was much like the first, and left me a bit breathless. Soon we made our way over to the common communal cafeteria area. The sun was just starting to come out, and apes were starting to stir. We got a surprise when Ash joined us during our conversation on whether or not blackberries were better than raspberries. Ash never got up early, he still had time to sleep, so why was he here now?

He looked right at me. _"You need to wash."_ He signed.

"What?" I asked, suddenly feeling mortified.

_"I can smell him all over you. I thought you wanted to keep this down low?"_ He explained, glancing between Blue Eyes and I.

There was pause before Blue Eyes lifted his hands. _"Fishing, then?"_

"Yep." Ash and I said at the same time. All of us stood up and the boys got their spears while I hurried for my bow and arrows and a change of clothes.

After explaining what we were doing to a tired, grumpy gorilla, we made our way down to a stream that connected to the lake. We decided that my bath was a little more important right now, and hit the lake first. There was an old dock there, and the boys followed me onto it. I took a deep breath and dove in, hands first, only bothering to take off my weapons. Bubbles tickled my skin and carried me back to the surface. I let out my breath and reached up to move my hair from my face.

"You know, you guy should try this. It's fun." I said as I leaned back in the water.

They both have me weird looks. "We'll pass."

I only grinned up at them. "Suit yourselves."

With that, I ducked under the surface. I scrubbed at my skin and clothes, hoping I would help free the clinging scent. I wasn't quite sure what Ash had meant by Blue Eyes' scent being 'all over me'. Did that mean he could tell we had been together, or just that we had spent many of the recent hours in close contact? When my chest ached for oxygen and I had nearly rubbed my skin raw, I kicked my legs slightly and lifted my head above the surface. I breathed in the cold morning air, soothing my lungs and stinging my throat. Ash let out a hoot of surprise at my sudden appearance, and I let out a giggle. He huffed at me and I huffed back, still grinning with amusement. I swam closer and propped myself up on the dock with my arms.

"Is the scent still there?" I asked.

The both leaned a little closer to catch a few whiffs, and both confirmed that I had done a good job. I smiled and pushed back into the water.

_"Why are going back in there? Come up!"_ Ash signed, giving me another strange look.

"It feels nice. Hand me my bow and an arrow, please. I wanna try something." I added, an idea coming to mind.

They exchanged a glance that said it all. _Humans are weird._ But Blue Eyes handed down the items I requested and I dove back down. The sun had risen some, it's rays starting to warm the water around me. I swam down to the bottom, which wasn't very far what with how close to shore I was. Many fish were still groggy and just starting to sun themselves, so doing what I wanted shouldn't be too hard.

A fat trout caught my attention, and I strung my bow. I didn't want to rush and scare the fish, but I didn't want to take more time than I needed. I needed to breath more than I needed the fish. I took aim and pulled the bowstring back a bit farther than I usually would, to make up for all the water around me, and let it loose. The arrow just reached the fish, but it didn't kill it. I swam to wear it wiggled weakly, trying to escape with its life. I picked up a rock with a sharp bladed edge and took hold of the arrow. I quickly jabbed the fish's spine near its head, and it immediately ceased all movement. I said a silent prayer of thanks and forgiveness in my head before kicking off on the algae covered rock I had my foot on, and kicked my way back to the surface.

One look around told me I was about ten feet from the dock, and I swam for it. I pulled myself up onto the dock, and the boys backed away with annoyed hoots as water dripped and spilled onto the wood. I pulled my bow and my catch up with me, and stood up. I wrung my hair out in my hands and picked up my spare clothes, excusing myself to go change. I came back out from behind a tree wearing one of my crop tops and a pair of pants, bare foot. I finger combed my hair and styled it as I joined the two young apes again.

"Are we going to the river now or back to the village?" I asked.

Blue Eyes and Ash exchanged a glance. "River." They said in unison.

With that, I wrung out my wet clothes over the water and squeezed as much moister from them as I could before bundling them up and putting them into the animal skin bag I had brought along. I picked up my bow and looped my quiver around my waist before bending over to pick up the fish. The boys lead me through the trees, and soon I could hear the rapids roaring in the distance. We approached the riverbank and the boys readied their spears. By mid morning, we had all caught around four fish each. We decided to go back home at that time. We talked as we walked, Ash lightly teasing.

I tried not to blush and tried my best to bear with it. We walked through the Gates, and I was greeted shyly by Pericles. I smiled and accepted him up onto my back.

"Hi, Peri." I grinned up at the child. He let out a few happy pant-hoots. I introduced him to Ash and Blue Eyes, who both put on a goofy show for him. He laughed and I seen some of his shyness chink away.

"Have you eaten? Do you want to join us?" I invited.

Pericles smiled and nodded. "Y-yes, please." He whispered.

I beamed up at him. "Great, let's go."

I gave my catch over to Blue Eyes, who took Ash's spear as well as his own to go drop off to be cooked. Ash and I took Peri to the stone slab and let him pick out what he liked. I got myself a plate, with lots of carrots and berries. I took Peri to my usual spot with Blue Eyes and Ash while I waited for said apes to return with their own breakfasts. Soon they did join, and we all had fun playing with the child.

Pericles slowly started coming out of his shell, and he reminded me much of Alexander. The way they both seemed shy and a bit reclusive but still social, but now both were coming out of their shells, interacting more openly. He was a cute little guy, his eyes were a dark chocolaty brown with prominent green streaks in his irises. His fur was also a mix of chocolate brown and another color underneath like that of soil found several feet below the earth. His wrists, I noticed, were cover in black fur, darker than the rest of him. He was an odd looking guy, but I liked that about him. His sweet personality helped too. He wasn't all that young, but he was still a few years away from being a teenager. If he had been human, I would have pegged him to be somewhere between eight and ten.

Ash and Blue Eyes were called on by their daily duties, and I was left to hang out with Peri. But somewhere around noon his older sister came to get him, saying their mother was calling him. I stopped by my hollow and grabbed my bone bead necklace and retreated to a sunny spot in the center of the village to work on it. I was only carving for about ten minutes before I received a surprise visitor.

_"You are afraid of me."_ Koba signed.

I looked up at him, wide eyed. But then I calmed slightly when I seen no malice or malevolence in his gaze or body language. _"Not so much now. You're not scary when you don't glare."_ I answered, finding no reason to lie to him.

Koba studied me with his one remaining good eye. _"My wife told me that you saved my son from drowning."_ He changed the subject.

I nodded slowly, remembering the day I was first fully accepted into the colony. _"He fell off a cliff."_ I signed back.

_"Thank you."_

The amount of sincerity and genuine gratitude in his countenance shocked me. I never thought I'd see the day Koba showed any form of emotion other than hatred for me. I pushed the thought away. He had changed, without his past to haunt him, he didn't hate my kind yet. And I hoped he wouldn't. _"Of course."_ I replied.

_"I make you nervous. I can see it."_ He signed, not giving me the glare I was expecting.

I took a deep breath to soothe myself. I tried to calm myself down, but I didn't let myself drop my guard. "I'm sorry. I don't mean any offense. It's just...you're being really nice to me." I didn't know how much I could say, and I wished Heloise or Cornelia were here.

_"Was I not before?"_ He asked.

"You usually just scowled at me from afar." I murmured.

_"Wish I could tell you why. You seem like a good person. My son likes you a lot. So does my Heloise."_ He signed, giving a small huff of breath.

I smiled and looked down. _"I really like them too. You have a wonderful family."_ I signed.

He smiled and gave a few pant-hoots in the form of a laugh. _"I know. I'm lucky."_

"Yeah." I agreed. He was lucky. Lucky to be alive, lucky to have his family, lucky he most likely wasn't facing banishment, lucky he couldn't remember his past pain. I wondered if that luck would last.

_"Apparently, I wasn't very hospitable to you when you arrived here. I don't know why, but...I'd like to try to make amends."_ He signed carefully. " _Whatever my reasons were before, I don't remember them. So now, I have no reason. I don't want you to be afraid of me."_

I barely stopped myself from gapping at him, but my lips did part to convey my surprise. I blinked, then started nodding slowly. _"I'd like that too. I don't want to be afraid of you either."_ I replied, feeling the corner of my mouth slide upward.

_"Start new."_ He signed before extending a lightly clenched fist. I reciprocated by reaching out with my own loose fist and tapped my wrist with his. It was a gesture between friends, and it marked the dawn of a new friendship. I hoped it would last. I had never had anything against Koba, I understood why he hadn't liked me. He had been abused by humans for much longer than I had been, and his hatred had run deep. But the amnesia destroyed that, and I hoped that if he did regain his memories, he would have a different outlook on me.

* * *

**I decided to throw that in for you. I've decided to change my system a little. I'll be giving shorter chapters than usual, but this way I can give more frequent updates and less grammar errors. So I'm going to see how this works out and I hope you like it. The next chapter should be done in a few days, I love you all :)**


	22. Chapter 22

Blue Eyes had just finished skinning a buck caught by a few other young hunters when his uncle Luca approached.

_"Go to your home. Queen Cornelia wishes to see you."_ The large gorilla signed.

Blue Eyes grunted. He thought this was a bit strange, his mother would normally have her hands full with his younger brother around this time, but he didn't think too much of it. He bid goodbye to his uncle and his peers before making his way through the village to his Home Tree. When he climbed the spiral staircase that wound around the tree's massive trunk, he caught a whiff of Rain's scent. She had been here not too long ago, and now he wanted to go look for her, but he knew he couldn't.

He had to fight to keep the smile off his face at the thought of her. He felt like the luckiest chimp in the forest. Rain was his everything, she was the air he breathed and the strength that threw his spear. She was his little bird. She was his. Blue Eyes huffed to himself, trying to push the thoughts away. His mother would definitely question it if he just showed up smiling like an idiot. He wrangled his emotions down and battened down the hatches of his emotional mask, sealing his thoughts in and to the back of his mind. When he reached his penthouse home, he looked around for Cornelia.

At first he couldn't spot her, but then she turned around and he seen her in the back, fixing one of the flower nets hanging from their ceiling. Her fur had made her blend in very well, but once she turned, Blue Eyes easily found his mother. She smiled in welcome and beckoned him to come closer.

_"Uncle Luca said you wanted to see me?"_ He asked as he moved to light a few of the lanterns built into the walls.

She nodded. _"I don't get to see you as often anymore. Not like when you were younger. You're growing up so quickly."_ An air of nostalgia drifted around her.

"Where's Haze?" He asked, noticing his brother wasn't present.

_"Out playing."_ She answered, turning toward the back of the room. _"Come play chess."_ She signed, gesturing to their little table and chessboard.

He sat down and helped Cornelia arrange the pieces neatly before letting her have the first move. He admitted he did sometimes find himself missing the days when he would stay by her side and go to his uncle Maurice's lessons, but if he had the chance to go back in time he wouldn't. He had grown and now it was his little brother's turn to learn under the safety of his mother's wing.

He moved one of his pawns a space forward. The game went on silently for about a minute before Cornelia sparked a conversation again.

_"Rain has come a long way, don't you think?"_ She signed.

He glanced at her. _"What do you mean?"_

_"I mean,"_ she said. _"She's much like we were when your father freed us. Scared and uncertain. Now look at her. Happy and confident."_

He nodded. _"I suppose she has."_ He thought about it for a moment, comparing the girl from when she first arrived to now. At first she had been timid and he thought it had been obvious she had been doing her best not to offend anyone, but he soon found she just had really good manners. When he compared her current state, his thoughts went to this morning's confidence when she had gotten her dress back from him. Blue Eyes had to divert away from where that thought train was taking him. He couldn't handle thoughts like that when he was sitting across from his mother. _"She has improved a lot."_ He nodded in agreement.

_"I think you can thank yourself for that."_ Cornelia smiled. _"You had a lot to do with it."_

Blue Eyes looked up. "Me? What did I do?"

Cornelia nodded. _"Who helped her settle into the colony? Who gave her someone to talk to after her brother died? If you hadn't been by her side for all this time, she might not have gotten on so well so fast."_

Blue Eyes looked at her from across the table. He had never thought about it like that. But before he could dwell on it, his mother started signing again.

_"She's a fine girl, don't you think?"_ She said.

Blue Eyes started to get nervous. He knew quite well his mother was fond of Rain, but now she was asking how he felt about her. He had to stay calm, he knew, but he also knew that Cornelia could read him. What if he slipped up?

"Yeah." He signed, trying to seem casual.

The game went on for a few minutes longer, and Blue Eyes had been going easy on Cornelia. If this game had been with his father, he and Blue Eyes would be neck and neck right now in heated combat. But it wasn't, and Blue Eyes tended to let his mother win at these games. Now was such a case. After she knocked down his king piece, she lifted her hands and signed again.

_"Okay. Time to cut the crap."_

Blue Eyes looked up in surprise. His mother didn't often cuss. He was confused, and slightly nervous. "What?"

_"You like her."_ Cornelia signed, a small smirk threatening to lift the side of her mouth.

_"Who?"_

_"Rain."_

He tried to give off a surprised look. The kind you give when a parent asks you about your love life. Which is what was happening. _Fuck,_ Blue Eyes thought. _"Why would you think that?"_

_"Because I see the way you look at her. And Blue Eyes, the way you look at that girl makes me so proud. I know you feel more than friendship for her. Don't try to lie, please."_ Cornelia signed, her face suddenly that of a concerned mother.

Blue Eyes stared at her, knowing that all his silence did was confirm her suspicions. She didn't seem upset or angry. None of her features suggested that, but how _did_ she feel about it? Cornelia liked Rain a lot, he knew that, and he knew for a fact that out of everyone, she would understand. So he drew in a deep breath and squared his shoulders.

"I love her." He met his mother's eyes as he said the words, conveying he meant what he said with an unwavering cerulean gaze.

Cornelia smiled brightly and her hands shot up to her mouth as she let out a few happy pant-hoots. _"Oh, my son! I'm so happy for you!"_ She said.

Blue Eyes watched her carefully. _"You're not...bothered by this?"_ He signed, not knowing what to make of such a positive reaction. Did she really just accept it right off the bat? Accept them?

_"Bothered? No!"_ Cornelia said, calming herself down. _"I understand why you think that, but honestly, I got past the human part long ago. I think she's good for you. She's sweet and smart and funny and beautiful, I couldn't think of a better choice for you. Besides, she is ape, remember? Only her body is human."_

Blue Eyes felt stunned. He had completely forgotten about Rain's new status. He felt a rush of relief flow over him. Half was from his mother's reaction, and the other half was from the hope that Rain's new ape status would immensely cushion the shock of their love. Blue Eyes was fully aware that they couldn't hide from the village forever, but he had been dreading it. He had been worried that they would insist Rain be sent away. He wouldn't stand for that. If she left, he left with her, to hell with his high rank. His reasoning for if this happened was that his parents and his people always had Haze. Neither Cornelia nor Caesar were exceedingly old, and had plenty of time to wait for his brother to grow up, and even have another child. They would be fine without him. But now his mother had instilled the idea, or at least the hope, that there was a chance that they could be accepted.

_"Does Father know?"_ He asked, the older chimpanzee suddenly coming to mind. If his mother had seen what was going on between he and Rain, did Caesar see it too?

_"He has his suspicions as well, but I'm not sure."_ She replied.

_"What are his thoughts on it?"_

_"Your father wants the best for you. He wants you to be happy. I'm sure if you explained to him, he would understand."_ She said, laying her hand over his from across the table in a gesture of comfort.

_"But would he want to? Do you think he'd be willing to accept it?"_ Blue Eyes allowed himself to ask some of the questions that had been weighing on him. He would have gone to Rain to talk about it, as he normally did when he felt that Ash would make too much of a joke of it, but he didn't want to give this stress to her. He knew she thought about things almost as much as he did, and she would only stress herself out.

She hadn't been getting much sleep either, and he was aware of her nightmares, but she didn't talk about it much. It was why he wouldn't tell her he had been plagued by nightmares as well, he knew that all she would do was worry. But, now that he thought about it, last night he hadn't had a nightmare. His mind had been blissfully blank as he had held Rain throughout the night. Now that he thought about it, Rain hadn't had the grogginess she had been having for the past three months. She had woken up bright and ready to go. The only other day since the city that either of them had slept peacefully was when they had fallen asleep together in the spare bedroom. He fought the urge to smile at the notion that the nightmares stayed away when they were together, he was still having a serious conversation with Cornelia and she would find it odd if he went from worried and apprehensive to smiling like an idiot for no apparent reason.

_"Blue Eyes, he will always listen to you when you speak. Caesar isn't an idiot, I wouldn't be surprised if he already knew."_ Cornelia said. _"Rain is an amazing girl and has changed the views of many apes for the better. Have more faith in your people. And your father."_ She added with a smile.

Blue Eyes looked down. Maybe she was right, maybe he was underestimating their people. But the risk daunted him. His parents and Ash were well and accepting, but could he rely on everyone to feel the same? They all knew that Koba was responsible for what happened and not humans, but that didn't change that fact that he was an ape and Rain was human. Would they be able to see past the body she lived in and see her for the way she was? Suddenly Blue Eyes wasn't so sure how well Rain's ape status would bode for them. He could only hope.

_"Are you going to tell the colony?"_ Cornelia asked, conveying her curiosity with a slight tilt of her head.

Blue Eyes shrugged and shook his head. _"Don't know. I have to talk to Rain about it, see what she thinks."_ He said. _"Can I ask you something, Mother?"_

_"Of course."_

_"Do you think that this will work? Do you think they'll be able to accept us?"_ He signed slowly, looking up to meet her pale green eyes.

She didn't answer right away, contemplating his inquiry. _"We will have to see. Rain has many friends that I believe would be more than willing to stand up for her. You do too. Talk to her about it. You're both smart, you'll figure something out."_

Blue Eyes smiled. _"Thanks, Mother."_ He signed.

_"Look at you, grown up already and falling in love."_ She signed, rising and pulling him up.

"I love you, Ma." He answered, returning his mother's hug and turning to the nickname he hadn't used for several years. Cornelia strengthened her hug on him at the sound of it, and Blue Eyes counted himself lucky to have a mother like Cornelia.

"I love you too."


	23. Chapter 23

-One month later-

Things had been moving along well. The colony was starting to move back into the flow of things, little by little. Blue Eyes told me about his conversation with Cornelia, and I couldn't be more happy about it. Cornelia was turning into a bit of a second mother to me, and I was very glad when she didn't treat me any differently than she had before. Blue Eyes also had a talk with king Caesar, and he said he had known about us as well. That left Blue Eyes and I a bit floored. Ash had seen, both of Blue Eyes' parents had seen, who else could see?

The fact that we were treated just the same helped soothe our anxieties about the colony finding out. I had underestimated this colony's empathy several times and while I didn't want to do so again, this situation was just a little different than the others. I was afraid of being banished, I was afraid of leaving behind everything I had grown to love so dearly. But, as Blue Eyes had said to me, nothing had happened yet and we would deal with everything as is comes. At the moment, we were riding with Caesar and his council to see my father again. Ash was coming along as well, saying he wanted to meet my brother officially. Naturally, I couldn't wait to see how that would pan out.

This time we were meeting at the end of the old firetruck road, where they had left their trucks when they were here the first time. They waited inside the truck this time, but this time there were two vehicles. One had my family inside its cab, inside the other were some important members of the human colony. This meeting wasn't to stay in touch, it was to discuss the peace treaty. I happily greeted Dad and Alex and Aunt Ellie, and I reluctantly let myself be introduced to the two men and women who had accompanied them. Alex, Ash, Blue Eyes and I were told to just hang out nearby, since we were still young. All of us protested, we were all very close to full grown age, I had no idea what month it was, so I was between eighteen and nineteen years old, which, legally, counted as adulthood. Ash and Blue Eyes were particularly upset by this, seeing as they had always been allowed and even encouraged to sit in on council meetings. But not this time.

We had no real choice, so we complied and retreated to a fallen log to talk. I introduced Ash, and Alex looked at me. "Ash? I thought you said that was the name of someone who..?"

I smiled and bounced on the balls of my feet for a moment. "Yeahh, about that..." I trailed off with a bright smile.

"Oh shit, wow, that's awesome." Alex said, looking to Ash.

"They would have, missed me too much." Ash said, gesturing to Blue Eyes and I. His voice was gruff, slightly accented, but it also has a note of natural humor. Blue Eyes tried to hide his chuckle, but I didn't.

Alex laughed too. "It's good to see you again."

"You too." Ash said, clearing his throat after it got a little gravely.

I sat with my back against the log and played around with two pebbles. Then a third pebble was tossed at me, and I paused to look at where it now lay by my foot. Without moving my head, I looked up at Blue Eyes and arched my brow at him. I smirked and tossed the pebble back at him. It hit his arm and dropped with a muted bounce onto the spongy moss. He picked it up and tossed it back, and this time it hit my upper arm. I picked it up and got ready to toss it but Ash grabbed my wrist before I could flick it.

"I think, we all know, how this will end. For your safety, but, mostly for our safety," Ash gestured to Alex and himself. "I feel, implored to ask you. To stop. Right now."

I laughed. "I surrender."

"I don't." With that, Blue Eyes pulled me down and started tickling me. I gasped and immediately started writhing around, smiling widely as I tried to free myself from his fingers. But that became increasingly hard when Ash and Alex decided to put themselves to work. I had to work very hard with trying to stifle my laughter as I felt attacked by soft grazes to my skin.

"Okay! Okay, stop please!" I laughed, still trying to keep quiet. The adults were having a very important conversation just across a thin shrub line, and I was supposed to be an ambassador. I couldn't be acting so childish in front of the human representatives.

Finally they relented, and when they backed away Blue Eyes pulled me up against his chest and I slumped in his arms. I panted while a few stray giggles bubbled through me. At the look on Alex's face, I nodded at him. "Ash knows."

As if to prove a point, Blue Eyes placed a happy kiss to the top of my head.

"Okay, this is strange." Alex said. "You're normally really intimidating and now you're all cuddly."

"I can be pretty intimidating, huh?" I stole the spotlight and 'pulled an Ash.'

The boys laughed and I got a squeeze from Blue Eyes. I craned my head and looked up at him, and he met my odd eyed gaze. I kissed his chin and leaned back into his chest. Alex got our attention by clearing his throat.

"So, I think now might be as good a time as ever to tell you something, sis..." Alex trailed off, his hand reaching to hold the back of his neck.

I sat up a little in Blue Eyes' grasp and he adjusted to make us both more comfortable. "Tell me what?"

"Um...I sort of..slipped up a little." He looked down at the ground.

"What do you mean you slipped up?" I asked.

He cleared his throat again and ran a hand through his more grown out hair. "I might of slipped up about you two to Aunt Ellie, and then Dad might have found out.."

I paused. "Wait, what?"

"Yeah..." He glanced up at me. "My bad."

I let out a slow breath. "What did they say?" I asked quietly.

"Ellie took a day to think about it, I think she's okay with it. They both asked the same questions I did." He said.

"And Dad?" I asked, calling him out on the part he left out.

"He thought about it too, he and Ellie talked, and I think he's also pretty okay with it. I mean, he's a father, most don't really like it when their daughters fall in love. But, you know, he's not gonna try and put a stop to it, your happiness is too important to him. As long as you're treated well, he'll accept it. Same with me." Alex said.

"That is a lot better than I expected." I said.

"Caesar knows, too." Blue Eyes chimed in quietly.

"Really? How'd that turn out?" Alex asked.

"Surprisingly well."

Ash quirked his brow. "Am I the only one, wondering why, no one is flipping a bitch? I mean, come on! This is uncanny."

Before any of us could reply, Alexander was laughing again. "You guys use the same curse words as us? That's awesome!"

I laughed. "I thought the same thing."

We turned to lighter subjects and spoke with each other for around an hour before Ash suddenly stiffened. _"They're coming!"_ He signed.

Blue Eyes and I scrambled out of our close proximity before the others got here. By the time the bush rustled in alarm, I was sitting beside Blue Eyes, and all of us looked up at the adults who appeared.

"Rain, Blue Eyes, we have to speak with you two." Dad said.

The pale eyed prince and I exchanged a glance. We stayed silent but stood up to follow them. I glanced over my shoulder at Ash and Alexander, and they were looking back with concerned countenances. The four representatives only followed a short distance, as well as Caesar's council members. I looked to the right out of my peripheral vision at Caesar, and he returned the glance. He gave a reassuring smile and lifted a hand to discreetly sign to me that it would be okay. I only nodded in return and looked forward again. We only stopped when we were a good distance out of earshot with the others.

"Okay," Malcolm said when he and Caesar turned to face us. "We have an idea for the treaty, but it has a lot to do with you two. If you don't want to do this we can forget about it completely. But," he and Caesar exchanged a glance. "We're aware of your circumstance and thought, it could be a win-win."

I arched a brow, and Blue Eyes and I glanced at each other. "What are you saying?" Blue Eyes asked.

"You are my son, Rain is Malcolm's daughter. Both children of, the colonies leaders." Caesar said. "A union would, strengthen the treaty..." He trailed off.

My lips parted, and butterflies went off in my stomach, beating their wings hard enough to send a lump of turbulence to stick in my throat.

"You mean..?" Blue Eyes trailed off, and I didn't have to look at his face to hear his astonishment.

Caesar smiled and nodded.

"So what do you say? You two wanna get hitched?" Malcolm asked.

I sucked in a breath, my lips pulling up into a smile as Blue Eyes and I made eye contact, and I found we both wore the same expression. I let out a happy cry as Blue Eyes swept me up into his arms. We both laughed as he spun me through the air before setting me down, and pulling me into his chest. We kept waddling in a circle as we grasped each other. Blue Eyes pulled away only enough to take my face into a hand and kissed me. I was a bit surprised and embarrassed to be doing this front of both our fathers, but soon my mind went completely blank and I found I didn't give a shit who saw. I kissed back happily, adjusting my arms around his neck.

When we pulled back, little giggles bubbled out of our lips as we made eye contact again. Blue Eyes huffed out another laugh and I snuggled my face into his sternum. We stood there for a moment, just holding each other happily. I breathed in his scent, he always smelled like pine trees and running water. The sweet moments couldn't last long before a throat cleared, but I wasn't sure which of our parents had called for attention.

"We'll that as a yes." Malcolm chuckled. I breathed out a little laugh as we faced them, Blue Eyes kept his arm wound around my waist.

We both nodded. "That's a yes." Another throat cleared, and we turned to see the four representatives approaching slowly, along with the ape council and Ash and Alex.

"Everything seems to be going well..?" A man with mousy colored hair inquired curiously.

"Really well." Malcolm nodded.

"For ethical reasons, we need to know you both consent to finalizing this peace treaty between the humans of San Fransisco and the apes." The blond woman said after she opened up a little camera. I think her name was Lois.

Blue Eyes and I glanced up at each other before looking back at the camera. "We consent."

She closed it up again with a nod before pocketing it away again. "I think that concludes this meeting. I look forward to a bright future for the both of us." She nodded in goodbye and respect to Caesar before walking back toward the trucks. The other three humans followed her, and afterword Caesar's council departed as well. When Maurice passed me, he gave me a wink from his bright green eyes, and I grinned happily.

We stayed to hang out with my father and the rest for a little while longer, but they couldn't keep the representatives waiting long. So when it was time to leave, I started toward where Zira was tied with the other horses, but stumbled when a wave of dizziness flowed through me, swirling in my head. I gasped and reached my arm out to try and balance myself, and a pair of arms caught me. I tried to take a deep breath as Ellie called my name and rushed to my side.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine...I just..got a little lightheaded." I said, feeling a bit breathless. "I'm okay now." I said, trying to stand on my own as Blue Eyes held my arms. I was still a little wobbly, and that got me confused. What was wrong with me all of a sudden?

"Have you eaten today? Or last night? That could be the cause." Ellie asked.

"No, I've been eating." I said.

"We ate just before we left." Blue Eyes added.

Ellie's brows knit with worry. "Hmm. Is this the first time this has happened?"

"Yes." I answered.

Ellie still looked a little worried. "Well, be careful. It might've just been you moved too fast too abruptly. But take it slow for a little while."

"Go to the Obas, when we get home." Caesar said. I nodded in acknowledgement of his command.

"Rain." Caesar called for my attention again. "Ride with Blue Eyes. In case, it happens again."

Neither of us had a real problem with that. Alex and Ash of course were grinning widely, and I gave my brother a look when he caught my eye. Blue Eyes carefully helped me up onto his horse, and kept a watchful eye on me as he mounted the animal behind me. I felt a little wave of lightheadedness hit me again, and Blue Eyes quickly slung an arm around my waist to steady me. I put a hand to my forehead and leaned back into the broad, scarred chest behind me as I waited for the wooziness to subside.

"Keep an eye on her, please." I heard Malcolm murmur.

"Of course. Until next meeting, my friend." Caesar replied, reaching his arm down from his horse to offer it to Malcolm. He reached up and clasped Caesar's elbow. It was a gesture of friendship between two males, and I was happy to see my father getting used to ape gestures. It helped ensure that he could still be apart of my life.

I waved goodbye to them as Blue Eyes nudged his horse into motion. Ash rode alongside us, pulling Zira along by her reigns. When we got home I was escorted to the healing hut, and Aria had a look at me. She couldn't find anything to fault and prescribed that I eat something and then rest for the rest of the day, or until I was sure that I wouldn't have another dizzy spell. Blue Eyes stayed with me in my hollow all day, and I got to realize again how much I cared for him. Happiness sprinkled heavily into me at the thought that we would be able to have our own union, albeit for political reasons. That part didn't really matter to me, now it would be much easier to deal with our feelings for each other in public, we didn't need to hide as much. Not much time would have to pass before we could be fully open about our relationship.

We didn't talk much about it. Mostly we just reminisced about past events that still held their mirth to us. It felt great to just sit and talk and laugh with him, it was one of my favorite things to do. I had no more dizziness, but my sides ended up hurting from all the jokes flitting between us. God, I loved him.


	24. Chapter 24

I breathed in and let out a tiny sound as I woke up. I rolled my shoulders slightly and snuggled into the warmth around me. The warmth curled around me, drawing me in closer to a hard yet soft object. My oddly pigmented eyes opened up to see a wall of fur, marred by three long, healing scars. I looked upward and locked eyes with the clearest blue irises I had ever seen. I woke up a little bit more, and I was able to register the face as that of Blue Eyes. He breathed in and gave a smile, strengthening his hold around my waist.

"What happened yesterday?" I asked softly.

"We're engaged." He murmured.

I breathed out in relief. "I was afraid that that was a dream."

His smile only widened. "I love you, little Bird."

"I love you too." I replied, snuggling into his chest.

I breathed in his pine sap scent and silently reveled in the tender squeeze he gave me. But soon I let out a tiny grunt at the discomfort in my lower back. Blue Eyes slackened his grip and leaned away slightly to look me over.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just a little backache."

His eyes narrowed. "Maybe you're getting sick..."

I shook my head. "I'm fine."

"I don't know...maybe, we should go see, the Obas again today." Blue Eyes proposed.

I lightly shook my head. "You worry too much. I'm fine."

He didn't look very convinced, and he lifted a hand to feel my face. He glared down worriedly. "You're too warm."

"Blue, I'm fine. I feel fine, it's just a little backache, I get those sometimes." I said, trying to calm him down. "If you're really that worried, I'll go see Aria today. But not yet, I'm not ready to get up." I added, snuggling down into the soft bedding.

The simian let out a sigh. "Fine."

I smiled up at him and gave him a quick kiss. Then I craned my neck and back to reach for something on the ground, ignoring the pain in my back. When I had a hold of the scrapbook I was reaching for, I glanced down at my breasts. They weren't that big but I had gotten backaches before because of them. I shook the thought away, Blue Eyes was just making me paranoid.

Said chimpanzee had already opened up the book. I knew he had wanted to look through it too, but I had forgotten to invite him to. Both of us had been busy since we returned from the city. I had been taking care of the youngsters when needed, as well as helping the Obas and collecting herbs for them. I also helped tend the garden and I did light hunting and fishing from time to time with the less experienced, younger apes. Blue Eyes had been even busier than me. He hunted and taught the younger apes how to prepare fish for cooking, and he put his entire weight into helping rebuild the last of the damaged huts and tree houses and making sure they were hospitable to life again. He worked himself hard, and so did Ash. Lisa and I had been putting time aside after dinner to help the two of them. So after they ate (or rather inhaled) their food, Lisa and I would plant ourselves behind them and message the strain and ache out of their shoulders and backs.

Blue Eyes put an arm around my shoulders and I snuggled into his chest. He looked through pictures of Alexander and our father, Dax and our mother and me and Malcolm. I smiled when I seen a picture of my mother teaching me how to play a guitar. When he turned the page again, I paused to see myself on the shoulders of a native man with long graying hair. He was a heavily built man, but he was lean and wore a happy smile. I reached out and brushed my finger against the picture where his shoulder was.

"That's my grandfather. My mother's father." I murmured. Blue Eyes tilted his head and reached out a finger and touched the little head of dark hair on my head, glancing down at me.

"That's me." I nodded.

"You are so small." He said, a humorous tone to his voice.

I huffed. "I've noticed."

Blue Eyes smiled and gave me a squeeze. "You've talked about him before. Not much. What was he like?"

"He was great. He was always there. He used to love to teach me and my brother and my cousins to speak Cherokee. He was one of the last fluent speakers. " I said. "He was a good storyteller too. I remember he would make a campfire and he and some other tribal elders would gather us all around and tell is these really great stories. I miss him."

We spent a long time going through the scrapbook, time sped past faster than I thought, but we got a wake up call near late afternoon. Ash suddenly burst through the vine curtain, an evil smile on his face.

"Hide your genitals!" He called, striking a ready-to-move stance.

"Fuck off, Ash." Blue Eyes glared after he got over the little startle the both of us received from his abrupt and unexpected arrival.

I let out a small shriek of laughter and buried my face in Blue Eyes' chest at the registration of his words.

"Oh come on!" Ash said after he got control over his own laughter. "Angel thinks, it's funny."

"She doesn't know what she thinks!" The blue eyed ape retorted, fixing his arm around me and drawing me in closer. I could hear the smirk he was trying to hide, and glanced up at him. When he caught my eye, he tried again to keep the smile off his face.

_"You know it was funny."_ I signed, a playful one sided smirk on my face.

He held his resolve for a few more seconds before he gave in and cracked a grin, looking exceptionally handsome in the process. "Only a little." He muttered.

_"Hope I wasn't interrupting something."_ Ash signed, approaching the hammock with a smirk.

"You kind of w-" Blue Eyes trailed off abruptly when he saw the look I gave him.

I turned to Ash. "It's fine, Ash."

The speckle-faced chimp grinned. _"Look at you two, acting married already."_ He teased.

We both flipped him off, and when we realized we gestured at the same time, we laughed and I leaned up to give him a kiss. We only gave Ash our attention when Blue Eyes was finished sneaking in kisses every time I tried to turn back to our friend. Ash was chuckling with amusement the whole time.

_"Are you two going to stay here all day?"_ Ash asked, seeming to drop the jokes for a moment. But then again, he was Ash.

I glanced up at Blue Eyes and he took the chance to feel my temperature. Fortunately his face didn't scrunch up like it would have if he had found unsatisfactory results. So he sighed and looked down at me quizzically, silently asking what I wanted to do.

"Might as well." I shrugged.

Blue Eyes let his head fall back with a grunt of disappointment. _"I knew you would say that."_ He signed.

I sighed and pulled myself away from his warmth, sliding the scrapbook to the side. I jumped down and gave Ash a hug hello. "Morning." I said.

"Afternoon." Ash returned. _"It's closer to dinner actually. The sun will be setting in a few hours."_ He added through sign.

"What?" I gasped, looking outside. That much time couldn't have passed! Though Blue Eyes and I had had a few side conversations, I had no clue we had been inside for such a vast amount of time. I was normally up and out of my hollow with the early birds, just before breakfast.

"Were we really in here for this long?" I asked, not believing it. It really hadn't seemed so long. I wasn't even hungry yet.

"Time flies, when you're lip locked, eh?" Ash said, arching a brow with a teasing smirk.

Blue Eyes was about to say something when I raised a hand to stop him. Once he closed his mouth, I turned to Ash and flicked his temple. The grey furred chimp let out a small shriek of protest, his hand flying up to hold his head. He glared at me lightly through his green flecked irises. I smiled and walked out of the vine curtain. I didn't worry about my hair, Blue Eyes and I had had a long grooming session between conversations.

We walked to a patch of sunlight and sat down on the warm stone. I liked the feel of the heat on my legs through my pants. Blue Eyes and I endured Ash's teasing for fifteen minutes before Blue Eyes was bowled over by a bundle of fur and ears. Of course, Ash and I made sure to laugh our asses off at that. When the prince finally got ahold of it and sat up, we found that it was no other than the colony's youngest heir. He was hugging Blue Eyes' neck tightly, and the older of the two lifted a hand to hug him back.

It was then I noticed how much Haze had grown. When I had first arrived, Haze had been small enough to just fit into my hands, and now I had to use both arms to carry him. I knew full well that apes grew and matured much faster than humans, but it was still surprising to see the growth spurt. Soon, said prince launched himself from his brother's scarred chest and onto me. I was ready, and was able to catch him with one arm and catch myself with the other.

"Hey, Haze!" I laughed.

"Hi, Rain!" He replied happily.

"What're you doing?" I asked after his hug.

"Hide'n seek. Harley. I find him." Haze smiled up at me.

"Well, I wish you luck." I said. Suddenly I heard a light giggle behind me and recognized it immediately.

Haze stiffened. _"She found me! Hide me!"_ He signed, suddenly ducking down into a ball and pressing himself into me.

I giggled and turned my head to see Cornelia approaching. _"Hello, everyone. By any chance, have you seen Haze?"_ She asked, a knowing smirk on her face.

The three of us exchanged a glance before turning back to the gentle queen. "No, I don't think so."

_"Haven't seen him."_

_"Have you checked the girls' bathing falls?"_ Ash signed.

We all looked at him.

_"What? He's getting to that age!"_ He chimp defended himself.

_"I distinctly remember you saying that exact thing when you were little."_ Blue Eyes signed to his best friend.

I could see the chimp in question fighting a smirk. _"I don't know what you're talking about, prince."_ He said.

"Well," Cornelia said. "If you see Haze, tell him he will be, taking care of the elders, for a week. Unless he decides to, show himself."

I heard the little balled up bundle jump with a gasp. "I'm here, Mama!" He cried, jumping up and climbing up onto my shoulders before leaping into his mother's arms.

She laughed. _"There you are! Where have you been?"_

_"Hide'n seek with Harley."_ He replied.

_"Well then you better find him."_ She that, Haze knuckled off and started looking for his friend.

The queen then turned to the boys. _"Alright, I let you stay inside all day. Go join Caesar's hunting band. We'll be having a celebration tonight."_

_"Celebration?"_ Blue Eyes asked.

_"Did you two forget about your own marriage?"_ Cornelia chuckled when she seen both of our confused faces.

Blue Eyes and I both let out little 'ohh's and glanced at each other. I think we both had forgotten. I wasn't used to thinking of him as my fiancé, I was barely used to thinking of him as a lover. He was my best friend. My best friend whom I just happened to be in love with.

_"I guess they did."_ Ash signed. "Silly prince."

"Din-nuh-duh." Blue Eyes mocked Ash's voice, pretending to repeat his 'silly prince' remark. Ash gave his friend's shoulder a playful shove, which Blue Eyes promptly returned.

"Oh god, there they go again." I muttered.

Cornelia giggled at that, and was quick to break up the wrestling match before it could begin. _"Go. Caesar will not wait for you."_

The boys complied, and as he passed, Blue Eyes and I lightly brushed our hands together, a small smile playing on our lips. Cornelia watched with a smile as they departed. The beautiful chimp turned her kind jade infused gaze on me. _"Will you walk with me?"_

I nodded and stood, inclining my head to her to show respect where it was due. But I didn't have to keep my neck craned like that, Cornelia always insisted that she be treated like any other chimp, though out of reverence she was always treated respectfully.

We walked slowly for the most part, but apes would sometimes call out or gesture a greeting, and we both returned them happily. Soon we came upon an outcrop where we could look upon the east branch of the village. We rested in the sun, looking out across our home as apes went about their daily duties. We sat in comfortable silence in each other's presence, but it wasn't very long before the queen broke the silence.

_"So, say two apes were fighting over the last good piece of elk jerky, what would you do?"_

I thought that was a bit of an odd question, but I only gave her a glance before lifting my face to the sky, thinking about her inquiry. After a few moments I replied, "I suppose I would see if there was any way to split the piece equally, and if not I suppose I would suggest some deer jerky instead, that's good too."

Cornelia sent me a pleased glance, and I was left to wonder what she was up to. But I didn't get long to do that before she sparked a conversation again. _"Are you excited?"_

"For what? Oh! Yeah, yeah I am." I answered, an apologetic smile on my face. "I'm also really nervous and really afraid that I'm going to wake up and this will all be a dream." I sighed.

Cornelia laughed a laugh that reminded me of a stream bubbling over stones. _"That's expected. I know I was torn between worrying my hair would fall out from the stressing, and running around like a child from the excitement when I faced marrying Caesar. But once the ceremony started, and I locked eyes with Caesar, I knew everything was fine. You'll be fine too, trust me."_

I smiled, feeling a little better now that I knew someone else has had these feelings too. _"I hope so."_ I signed back.

_"I'm excited for you both. I can't think of anyone I'd want more for my son."_ She signed and tenderly reached out to me.

All I could do was part my lips in shock before Cornelia drew me forward and laid her forehead against mine. A smile stretched my lips and a little breathy laugh of happiness and relief flowed through me as I reached forward and held her neck, just below her jaw to reciprocate the gesture. When she pulled away, she added a kiss to my hairline. I smiled at her, glad that I had her friendship as well as her blessing.

_"Thank you so much."_ I signed, hoping she knew how much I meant it.

The ape queen nodded in acknowledgement. _"So,"_ she said. _"Is there anything special you want? Humans like big celebrations for marriage, no?_

I shrugged. "Some do." I shook my head and corrected myself. "Most do. But I don't really need anything big and fancy. Do what you would normally do for this kind of thing."

_"Well, we don't normally hold these kind of marriages. Not every day we unite two colonies."_ She smiled jokingly.

I tittered at that. _"I guess not."_

_"You're sure there's not anything you'd like?"_ Cornelia asked again.

"Not really. All I can really think to ask for is my father's presence. My brother's too, as well as my aunt's." I replied.

_"They were already coming, of course. You think they wouldn't be invited to their youngest member's wedding?"_ She said, looking at me like a child asking an obvious question. I smiled and looked down for a moment in bashfulness.

_"You really can't think of anything? I want to spoil my future daughter-in-law!"_ She mocked a pout.

I laughed. "Awe you don't have to. Really, I'm happy with just being able to be his. Publicly. It's fine."

_"Well, I'm at least making sure you have a nice new dress to wear."_ She signed, and the look on her face told me that I wasn't going to get out of it.

I tried to hide my smile. "Okay, alright." I relented. "Thank you."

She reached out and held my cheek. _"Of course. You're already the daughter I never had."_

I didn't even try to hide my smile. "You..you remind me of her a lot. My mother. I wish you could have met her."

She gave a fond smile. _"She would be proud. She raised a wonderful girl."_

I had to bite back tears at that. I opened my mouth to thank her for her kind words, but a lump in my throat stopped the words like a cork in a bottle. Cornelia seen how much emotion her statement struck in me, and clicked her tongue before pulling me in for a hug. I closed my oddball eyes and took refuge in the sanctuary her embrace allowed. I pushed away thoughts of my mother, if I started thinking about her, I'd only end up in tears, which was exactly what I was trying to avoid. I finally wrangled up my salt-dripped emotions by pulling them in and boxing them up. I thought about how waking up in Blue Eyes' arms and hearing the good news felt, and I easily let a smile cross my face.

_"Now, enough of that. There will be plenty of time for that later. What do you think about white doeskin?"_

I laughed and let out a little groan. "Cornelia..."

_"What? I can't help it!"_ She laughed.


	26. Chapter 26

 

"Would you stop that! Working here." Deuce growled as he slapped away Lisa's hand.  
  


Imagine my surprise when Deuce the don't-you-fuck-up-or-I'll-fuck-you-up Oba insisted on helping me get ready for the wedding. But he had, and I wasn't dumb enough to ask for his motive.  
  


Lisa had let out a little shriek at being pushed away. _"You just told me to adjust-"_ she began before the aging the chimp cut her off. 

 

_"I changed my mind."_ He said as he made sure my hair framed my face neatly.   
  


_"Lisa, stop messing with Deuce."_ Cornelia chided as she made sure my dress was fitting properly.   
  


"What? Me-?!" she began to protest.  
  


"Yes, you." She said. _"Now let the ape be and help me make sure this fits correctly."_  

  
"Guys, please, you've all done so much." I said, glancing down at myself. I have no idea how they did it, but someone did manage to find a white doe. They were unbelievably rare and to find one just in time like this was the absolute epitome of uncanny coincidence. Most of the pelt was clean and unstained when it was brought in. I had started helping the apes learn how to make and shoot bows and arrows. It was an arrow that had struck down the doe, and it was quickly skinned and turned into a dress.  
  


It was beautiful. The deer had never lost her youth spots, even though she had been full grown when brought in, and the beautiful pale tan spots wrapped around my waist like a belt. None of the doe went to waist. Her bones were quickly bleached and cleaned and turned into beads and the pieces that now went into the necklace and matching bracelet on my neck and wrist. The beads had been woven into the neat little braids in my hair.  
  


I hadn't wanted to be too dolled up. I wanted to do this looking the way I am, not all glamoured up. So we had decided to leave my hair down. Some of it fell over my shoulders, the rest cascaded down my back, shiny and smooth thanks to an hour and a half of intent grooming.  
  


Blue Eyes had gone out hunting on his own a week and a half ago, and ran into a band of three lone wolves running together. He had downed all three, and the sweetheart had donated their furs to me. Two of them were added to the inside of my homemade jackets, giving the insulation they had been lacking. I had loved the idea he had proposed for them when he gave them to me. But alas, one of the wolves had been white furred, and as soon as Cornelia seen it, she knew what it's destiny was. It was sewn into the waist area of the dress, making my hips flare out even more than they already did.  
  


On my feet were a new pair of moccasin boots wrapped delicately with the scraps left by the females who had sewn my dress. Even earrings were painstakingly carved once Deja found the piercings in my ears. Two pairs of earrings had been made, one pair was short but dangled from my ear and the other pair were two identical silhouettes of doves in flight (a request made not by Blue Eyes but by Ash). I couldn't choose between the two, so Deja had helped me to safely pierce my lobes a second time. Bodily piercings weren't relatively new to apes, so it was a nice touch. I now wore both pairs of jewelry in my ears.  
  


The bracelet was carved to resemble a wreath of vines wrapping themselves daintily around my wrist. The necklace started near my collar bones and were made of cylindrical bone pendants that got longer as they went down, dipping into an elegant triangular shape down my chest.  
  


The last touch to all of this was the ceremonial blue and white paint that was tattooed onto my skin. The back of my hand had thick strokes of light blue paint, outlined and/or detailed with thinner strokes of white. The paint drew intricate patterns up my arms, over my shoulders and down to draw a pretty pattern around my necklace. The paint also went down my midriff and legs, of course, that was covered by the dress, but I liked it anyway. The paint also streaked down my back and flowed out right above my butt. Even the back of my neck was painted.  
  


There weren't any mirrors in the village, so I had no way of knowing what was painted on my face.  Butterflies were swirling in my stomach with a vengeance as I stood before Cornelia, Deuce and Lisa. I hoped I looked okay, the desire to look presentable at one's wedding was an artificial instinct carved into humans. Both male and female, no matter how much one denied it, deep down a part of them wanted to look good for their betrothed. The only clue as to what I looked like was in the faces of these three apes.  
  


Lisa and Cornelia seemed like their faces would break, and they seemed to think so too, because both held their cheeks with wide, face-splitting smiles. Deuce looked on with a smug, self-prideful expression. I took in a deep breath and let it out.  
  


_"How do I look?"_ I asked timidly, wondering at how steady my hands were. I expected them to shake as much as my core was trembling.   
  


"Beautiful!" Cornelia gushed.  
  


I looked down and tried to hide the smile that stretched my face.  
  


_"He's gonna love it."_ Lisa signed as she approached me, giving me a wink.   
  


_"You think so?"_ I asked shyly.   
  


_"We know so."_ Deuce signed.   
  


Deuce had been surprisingly nice to me. I had been shocked when he wanted to help me get ready, but I wasn't about to say no to him. This just told me that he wasn't completely crabby all the time, and I was grateful for his help. Cornelia turned and grabbed something from the table. She walked up to me and placed a simple wreath of blue and white flowers in my hair. The sweet smell that emanated from the delicate bulbs made me smile.  
  


_"It's almost time."_ Cornelia said when she glanced out the window.    
  


"Breathe, Rain." Lisa said, when she seen the look on my face.  
  


"I don't think I remember how." I replied.  
  


_"Easy, everything's okay. Are you having second thoughts?"_ Lisa asked.   
  


"No, of course not!" I gasped. "I'm just...really nervous. What if I mess up? What if I get dizzy again? What if I don't remember what to do?"  
  


_"Rain, relax. This is normal. It's just wedding jitters."_ Cornelia said. _"Once you two see each other, everything will be fine. I promise."_    
  


I drew in a deep breath. "Okay, okay. You're right, everything is okay. I don't know why I'm so nervous. I'm really excited, too." I said, trying not to bounce on the balls of my feet.  
  


Suddenly I heard a calling hoot at the doorway, and turned to see Ash crouching with a supplicating palm lifted upward. Cornelia, who was closest, waved him in. When he seen me, he stopped, a wide grin slowly stretching his face as he scanned me up and down  
  


_"Angel, you're gonna put the poor guy on his knees."_ He signed. _"You look amazing."_    
  


_"You can thank them for that."_ I signed back, smiling happily. I gestured to the three chimpanzees in the room with me. Deuce grunted in a 'you had better give me credit' sort of way.  
  


Ash turned to them. _"It's nearly time. I was sent to make sure everything is in order."_    
  


_"She's ready."_ Deuce grunted.  
  


_"Alright, everyone out, we have to get there before Rain. Ash, will you escort her?"_ Cornelia said.   
  


_"Yes, Aunt Cornelia."_ The light furred chimp signed, for once not cracking a joke.   
  


With that, Deuce dragged Lisa out, but Cornelia stayed a moment longer. She approached me with a watery smile and held my cheeks in her hands, careful of the paint. _"You are so beautiful, my daughter."_    
  


"Oh, God I think I'm gonna cry..." I muttered right before I attacked her with a hug. Deuce let out a chastising hoot at the possibility of messing up the paint decorating my body, but I ignored him. Cornelia returned the hug tightly, chuckling amusement at my reaction to her words. I bit back tears, feeling fantastically happy that Cornelia thought of me as such. She pulled away, and I stepped back, inclining my head to her on instinct.  
  


The gentle queen gave another soft laugh at that, and wished me luck before ushering the others out. I was left with Ash, and he smiled at me when eye contact was established.  
  


_"Excited?"_ He asked.   
  


I nodded. "Nervous as hell, but yeah, I'm really excited."  
  


_"You'll be fine. It's Blue Eyes I'm worried about. He's nervous too, he can't wait."_ Ash said with a smirk. _"Don't tell him I told you that."_  
  


"He is? Really?" I replied, hearing my voice heighten slightly.  
  


"Awe, look at you. Your face lit up." Ash laughed.  
  


I tried to hide my smile and looked away. "No it didn't."  
  


"Yeah it did."  
  


"Nu-uh"  
  


"Yuh-huh"  
  


"Mm-mm."  
  


"Mmhmm."  
  


"Are we seriously doing this?" I broke off, laughing.  
  


"We're so mature." He said sarcastically. The ape moved to the window and looked out.  
  


_"Okay, we need to leave now."_ He signed.   
  


I took another deep breath and nodded. Ash led me down the stairs of Home Tree and to the village ground. We passed through the Gates, and the few Gorilla Guards that remained here to protect the village smiled and nodded. One even commented on how nice I looked. I smiled and thanked him and returned the acknowledgements and greetings I received. Ash led me through the forest, higher up the mountain. We reached a copse of thin, tall redwoods, and it was then I heard the drums. They beat a steady, joyful rhythm.  
  


"I can't breathe." I said, feeling my heart trying to escape my chest, attempting desperately to break the barrier that was my ribs and flutter away. Blood roared in my ears to the breakneck beat of my pulse, the addition of the drums made me wonder if I could go deaf from this.  
  


Ash took my arm and wound it through his, resting his hand on my wrist to offer more comfort. "It'll be fine." He said as we continued up the path. "He loves you. That's what this is, about. Not politics. To him, this is about you, and him. You'll be fine, Angel."  
  


I looked at him, lips parted in surprise. Blue Eyes felt the same? I smiled at my best friend, grateful to have him here and in my life. I felt another rush of happiness that he was alive, I don't know what I would do without the wonderful idiot. _They're both idiots,_ I thought. _But they're my idiots._    
  


"What if I trip and fall?" I whimpered, doubts about myself starting to filter through slightly.  
  


"You won't. I'll catch you, I promise." He squeezed my wrist reassuringly.  
  


Feeling slightly better about the walk women either await impatiently or dread, I lifted my head and took another deep breath. "Thanks, Ash."  
  


"Anytime, Angel."  
  


When we got to the top of the path, the redwood copse gave in to a stone clearing. A wall of rock stretched up for thirty feet, and we stood on a plateau that dropped down twenty five feet. The cliff wall was decorated with pictograms, depicting what was taking place today. Torches lined the area, even though we had a few hours left before the sun dipped below the horizon for the day. A bonfire was lit a few feet away from the wall, burning brightly and passionately in the small breeze that swept through the mountain.  
  


Apes flooded the area. Most, if not everyone in the village was present. Apes of all kinds were lined up in the form of an isle of sorts, drumming out the rhythm that beat like a heart through the stone under our feet and echoed off the rock into the world. At the end of the isle, in front of the blazing fire, was Blue Eyes and Caesar. The king was in the spot where a priest would normally be in a human wedding. Hoots rang out into the humming air, calling our arrival to attention. I breathed in deeply and prayed Ash wouldn't need to keep his promise about catching me if I fell. I looked up and got caught up in two pools of the brightest sky. He was wide eyed, and his lips were parted slightly in a little pout. It reminded me of the first day I had met him, both of us fascinated with the idea of one another.  
  


Blue paint was streaked down his arms and chest, as well a thin streak of blue and white starting at one cheekbone, across his nose and to the other cheekbone. A wreath similar to my own was on his head, made of leafy vines and spotted with a few small wild flowers that naturally grew on the vines selected. The bonfire was casting a familiar glow to his features, one that left his irises to pop nicely. All I could think was, _Damn, he looks good. Why don't we use the blue paint more often?_  
  


Ash gave my wrist another comforting squeeze, offering me some much appreciated strength just before dropping me off in front of the bonfire. Ash moved to Blue Eyes' side of the fire, joining a few other peers, most of which I knew. My father and brother and Ellie were at my side, besides Maurice and Luca and a few other council members. In the crowd, I had spotted about six human representatives, the four I had met before and two more men.  
  


The drumming went on for a few seconds longer before they ceased with a resonating boom, and the whole world seemed to freeze. This moment now was nothing like I had anticipated. I had thought for sure I'd be fighting not to fidget and I thought I would have been attacked by an onslaught of nervous, rioting butterflies. But there were none of those symptoms present. My heart rate had calmed considerably, and the well of worries that had been filling up my head so speedily now ran dry.  
  


Blue Eyes held my fingers with his as I gazed up into his clear crystalline orbs. Icy cool mountain air flowed through my lungs and I felt refreshed and renewed. An almost lethargic contentedness came over me, and I almost forgot to listen to Caesar when he spoke.  
  


"Today, we join these two colonies, by joining these two heirs, in marriage. Most know, these two grew very close, very quickly. From friends, to best friends, and now, to mates. This union, is not only, to commence, the beginning of our treaty, of peace, with the human colony, it is to bring together, two younglings, who love each other." The king's voice rang out true and clear, and the mountain stone around us gave wonderful acoustics.  
  


"I acknowledge, this bond. Let it be known. This marks, the beginning, of harmonious years, between apes. And humans." Caesar then dropped his hands from where he had been holding them up, and nodded at us with a smile.  
  


I gave a squeeze to Blue Eyes' hands right before we stepped toward each other. His head ducked down and we laid our foreheads against one another. My new husband surprised me when one hand shot up and cupped my cheek, pulling my jaw gently forward and crashing his lips onto mine. My brows rose in surprise, but my eyes soon fell closed and one hand reached up to rest on his bicep and the other on his scarred and painted pectoral. Blue Eyes' other hand went to lightly hold my hip. Tingles shot through me, causing me to let out a little noise of approval. The kiss didn't last very long, but it was one of the best of my life. It had surprised me because normally there wasn't a kiss at the end of the ceremony, but I wasn't complaining in the slightest.  
  


We pulled apart to the amused chuckles of the colony. When our moment of intimacy was over, Caesar raised his arms again. "Behold, our newest couple!"  
  


Cheers and hoots and barks of jubilant joy rang out over the mountain, and Blue Eyes pulled me to him as the apes happily advanced. They laid their hands on us in welcome and acceptance, passing by and around the bonfire where some Gorilla Guards would escort small bands at a time home safely. I laughed happily when I felt a tug at my dress and looked down to see young Pericles, standing straight up. He only reached just above my knees, but I reached down and let him hold my hand for a moment before he turned and reached up toward a large gorilla.  
  


_"See, Father? I told you she was pretty!"_ He signed.   
  


The gorilla chuckled. _"Yes, you did."_ He answered his child. _"Congratulations, you two."_ He added, reaching out and giving a squeeze to each of our shoulders.   
  


We thanked him graciously, and it was only when they passed through the crowd had I realized the chimp had called the gorilla Father. Now that I thought about it, that could have been the reason for Peri's slightly odd coloration. He was half chimp, and half gorilla. I didn't get long to dwell on my new discovery, because I suddenly realized something else. Most knew about Brent's strong feelings for Deja, and they were a bonobo and a chimpanzee. No one seemed to mind.  
  


That's when I realized something about the people I lived with. They were _apes_. Not humans. There were many similarities between our two species, including the way they thought about things. But they came from different view points. Both Blue Eyes and I had greatly underestimated our brethren. They didn't give a damn about what anyone looked like. There was love, and there was friendship and there was companionship. The likely reason for the colony's initial hesitation and agitation when the humans came to work on the dam was because of past experiences. It had been easier on them when Dax and I arrived because we came in a small number and I think our ages helped as well. My oldest brother and I also had complied with their demands and there were no real hiccups or undermining of ape authority.  
  


Apes didn't really know discrimination like humans did either. Like I had said before, no one gave a damn. My thoughts had caused a smile to be sent in hopes of breaking my face, and it felt like it might succeed. I was tucked into Blue Eyes' side as we both accepted welcomes and blessings and congratulations from many apes. To say we were pleasantly surprised was an understatement. It took about an hour and fifteen minutes for the entire colony to move through. Ape weddings didn't normally take so long, but this was a special and important occasion, so the whole colony had attended.  
  


Soon the only ones left was the council, the humans, Ash, Caesar and a few remaining Gorilla Guards. Ellie immediately pulled me into a hug.  
  


"You look so gorgeous!" My aunt gushed.

  
"Thanks." I laughed before getting scooped up by Alexander. He twirled around with me in his arms just to try to make me dizzy. He and Dax used to that when I was smaller. They would gather me up into their arms and they would spin me around until I was laughing and falling and wondering if I would lose my last meal.  
  


"And I never even got to threaten him." Alex said as he hugged me. I laughed at his words and hugged him back, giving his cheek a kiss. When Alex loosened his grip on me, I turned to see Father talking with Blue Eyes. I watched both their expressions, trying to figure out the nature of their conversation, but I got nothing but blankness from both. But then my father smiled and reached out toward the blue eyed prince. He clapped him on the shoulder and gave it a squeeze.  
  


"Welcome to the family." I heard him say.


	27. Chapter 27

-two weeks later-

A year ago if you had told me that I'd find myself in love and married to an evolved ape who also happened to be a prince, I would have thought you had suffered a few too many hits to the head. But this was my reality, and I couldn't be happier. Blue Eyes and I shared the hollow in Home Tree, the hammock had been altered, and now stretched across an entire corner, allowing a bigger sleeping space.

This sudden dizziness I had gotten still affected me at random times, and I had been going to Aria to get an herbal remedy for it for these last few weeks. Blue Eyes was paranoid, worrying that I was sick. I'd even eavesdropped on him asking Alexander what the symptoms to the Flu were. But now even Ash was beginning to worry. Ash was aware of what went on around him, but he didn't often show his concern unless he felt concern was due. The fact that he was openly worrying got me even more paranoid than Blue Eyes already had me.

So, I was on my way to the healing hut, looking for a reason for this. The strong smell of herbs wreathed around me as I entered the threshold of the three story hut. It wasn't very busy but it wasn't very vacant either. The first Oba I found was the one I had gone out in search for, thankfully.

"Aria!" I called her name softly as I approached.

The head Oba paused from her leisurely walk to the herb stores. She didn't seem like she had anywhere to be right now, she never doddled when there was something that needed to be done, so I was glad I had caught her at a seemingly good time.

_"Still dizzy?"_ She asked.

"Not right now, but..." I trailed off. "There has to be a reason for this. People don't just get random dizzy spells. Not like this."

Aria looked at me from behind her blue-ish white mask. _"Okay, come on."_

She led me to an exam room and I sat myself down on the raised moss cot. She commenced in a routine check up, checking my eyes and feeling my throat. _"It's safe to assume you've been eating correctly, yes?"_

"Yeah, a little more than usual actually. It's weird, I've been getting hungry more often."

Aria paused in her examination and suddenly gave my boob a poke. I jumped at the unexpected soreness, as well as the unexpected jab. Her eyes narrowed and she did it again, lighter this time. She moved to the side and blatantly looked at them, moving to the other side to do the same thing. Not knowing what to make of this, I just sat there and waited for her to give a motive.

_"Have they always been this size?"_ She asked, looking up at me.

"What are you talking abou- oh my god!" I gaped, looking down at my breasts. The shirt I wore didn't show that much cleavage, but it sure as hell wasn't a turtle neck either. Both breasts swelled much more than normal, and I noticed they jiggled at the slightest movement. They'd never done that before, at least not that much. "They have never been that big!" I whisper shouted, still gawking at them.

_"Stand up."_ She ordered. (ITALICS) I obeyed, stepping away from the cot as she began circling me, her eyes roaming my body.

_"Take this off."_ She tugged on the hem of my shirt.

Shrugging, I slipped out of it and tossed it onto the cot, letting her examine me. She poked around my breasts a little more, and I tried not to shy away from her touch. She was a healer after all. Then she stood straight, looked me in the eye, and asked me a question that threw me way off.

_"Rain, are you a virgin?"_

"W-what?" I stuttered, taken completely by surprise. Why would she ask this..?

Suddenly she took on a completely different air around her. Gone was the snippy Oba I knew, and in her place was an almost concerned looking female. This sudden transition shocked me, and I was too uneasy to question, so I sat back down on the cot and looked down at my legs. After a few moments of silence, she let out a few small grunts to remind me of her still hanging question. I sighed and looked up at her. Lying to her wouldn't be smart. She was my Oba and she was trying to help me medically, besides, I knew she would likely catch it if I tried to fib. One didn't often get away with deceiving Aria the Oba.

"No, I'm not." I said softly. When I met her green eyes, I knew that she already knew.

_"Rain, sweetheart, it might do you good to hold onto something."_ She signed, her sweet side coming out for a rare glimpse of the sun.

My heart was starting to pick up the pace. I took her advice and gripped the edges of the cot. "Aria..?"

It came out almost a whimper, I knew what she was trying to say but something in my brain wouldn't let me straight out think it. It couldn't be true. It was impossible. Aria drew closer and took my face in her hands. She pet my hair slowly and rubbed the top of my shoulder with the other, trying to soothe my senses.

_"You're pregnant."_

I forgot how to breathe. A dizzy spell hit me hard at that exact moment and for a moment I was afraid that I would throw up then and there, but I managed to hold it in as I leaned over onto my legs. I felt Aria place her hands over my shoulders, hooting softly at me. I drew in a deep breath to try to calm my spinning head. When the swirling stopped, I sat up straight again and shook my head.

"I can't be. I can't be." I muttered, but I knew it was true. I think I've known for a while. My mother had gotten these exact symptoms when she was with child. My heart rate sped up again, and my breathing grew slightly labored.

_"Rain, calm down. I know this is frightening for first time mothers but you really should try to stay away from stress."_ Aria signed.

Nothing was making sense. Not even Aria. She wasn't speaking like herself. I had seen her sweet side a few times but they were very rare and now she was being extra sweet. I couldn't process this. My breathing got heavier, I tried taking in deep breathes to try and calm myself, but all I felt was a cold abyss of panic starting to bloom in my chest, sending my heart into my throat. I couldn't speak, so I lifted shaking hands and signed, _"I'm scared."_

_"Rain, look at me. Breathe, darling."_ She signed, hooting to me softly. She turned and got the attention of two passing apes. I didn't see what she told them, but they rushed off in different directions. One came back very quickly with two leaves in their hands. I recognized the herb, it was commonly used by the Obas to calm patients and for the ones who brought the sick or injured in, who usually arrived frantic with worry. I thanked the Oba and obediently chewed and swallowed the leaves. They didn't taste that great but they weren't awful enough to pull a face at.

I felt them take effect quickly, which is what they were meant to do. I slid off the cot and leaned back on it, biting my lip nervously. I took in a deep breath to try to calm my thoughts. Aria caught my eye and she pulled her mask down from her face.

_"You need to tell him."_ She signed.

I drew in a breath and nodded slowly. Before I even got a chance to think about how I would tell him, the ape in question burst around the corner.

_"What's going on? What happened?"_ He asked, at my side and looking me over.

I looked up at him, then my eyes shifted to Aria. The head Oba slid her mask back on her face and nodded at me. _"I'll leave you two alone."_

With that, she nodded to Blue Eyes and spirited herself away, pulling a pelt curtain closed over the doorway to give us some privacy. Blue Eyes glared at the curtain, and I could see how confused he was. My husband turned to me and took my upper arms into his hands and peeked into my odd colored eyes. He gave a soft hoot, asking what was wrong. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, preparing myself. I had no clue how to go about this. I had no clue how this had happened. Well, I knew _how_ it happened, but I didn't understand how it took. I was human, my body should have rejected his seed. That's what I had expected to happen. My mind waged war with itself. A part of me was excited at the concept of having my own child, but two other parts were confused and afraid.

I was snapped out of my train of thought when Blue Eyes' hand cupped my cheek and he sat on the cot, drawing my up to him and onto his lap. _"What's wrong?"_ He lifted a hand to sign.

My eyes were wide as I stared up at him. How did I tell him? I had to tell him. But what would he even think? I bit my lip again and looked down. My heart rate stayed calm, but I was fully aware that was only the herb that did that. If I hadn't taken it I was sure I would have been having a panic attack right now. But there was no real need for one. I was safe and in Blue Eyes' arms. Nothing could ever hope to hurt me while he was here. His words from months ago came back to me, from when he had gone back into the city to help Caesar from the inside.

_"Rain, I am never going to leave you. You're mine, and I'm going to keep you safe."_

I had to tell him. Feeling slightly more reassured, I gathered up all the courage I had and looked up at those clear blue pools that I loved. I drew in another breath. "I'm pregnant."

He froze.

The silence made me flinch, and I was too afraid to meet his gaze again. The quiet dragged out and rang in my ears. I heard my pulse rush the blood through my ears, very aware of my body. I didn't feel very different. It was hard to describe, it was more of an awareness I've had for a while but I've been too afraid to admit it. How could I let this happen? I'm only eighteen! What would my mother have said? What would my _father_ say? My thoughts stopped with a grinding halt when I suddenly felt something else.

I looked down to see Blue Eyes' large hand stretched out over my belly. I looked up at him, trying to see what he was feeling. His cerulean hues were locked on my abdomen, a wondered and an almost excited glint in his eye. Seeing him so equable was greatly reassuring, and when he looked up to meet my gaze, a jolt of electricity coursed down my spine.

"Child?" He whispered.

I nodded, biting my lip once more. I noticed that his chest was moving faster than it normally would. I couldn't decide whether that was good or bad. But then a stupid grin appeared on his face and he swooped me up into his arms and spun me around. I gasped and tried not to laugh too loud, but I did end up letting a few giggles escape. Blue Eyes surprised me when he placed me back on my feet by dropping to his knees and hugging my waist. He lifted the hem of my shirt and kissed my scarred tummy. Seeing that melted my heart, washing away all anxieties and leaving only happiness and love. I placed my hand on top of his head, running my fingers through his hair, smiling happily. He looked up at me, his chin and throat lying atop my abdomen, his pale eyes shinning with something I could only describe as ecstasy.

He got to his feet and cupped my face in his hands, standing so close to me that we were chest to chest and our height difference was very apparent. Blue Eyes had to tuck his chin in so much his shoulders started to hunch a little, and I had to crane my neck up almost to its limit. He kissed me, passionately intense and lovingly deep. It took my breath away.

"I love you." He murmured, barely leaving my lips long enough to say the words.

"I love you." I reciprocated, speaking into his mouth.

The kiss ended as abruptly as it began, and we stood panting slightly in each other's arms, our foreheads resting against one another.

"That's why, you were dizzy all the time?" Blue Eyes grunted softly.

I nodded and gave him a short peck. "I think I've known for a while. I just wouldn't let myself believe. It finally registered when Aria said it." I admitted, wanting to get that piece of information off my chest. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. We're starting a family..." He whispered, his large hand going to splay across my belly again. I laid my hand over his as he sat us down on the pricked in my eyes at the sound of that. I nuzzled his neck, a smile stretching my face. Blue Eyes gave a chuckle when he realized I was trying to hide my tears from him, and he tucked me closer to his side and kissed my temple.

"No tears." He shushed me softly, rocking me side to side in a soothing motion.

"I love you." Was all I could whisper. He nuzzled me and gave me a squeeze silently returning my affections. We sat in silence for the longest time, but it couldn't last forever, and a calling hoot alerted us to Aria's presence outside our curtain. Blue Eyes hooted to her in unison to my calling her in. She entered slowly, and when she seen us in each other's arms, she lifted her hands to sign.

_"I trust all went well?"_ She asked.

I nodded and smiled, but my smile widened when I saw Blue Eyes' beaming expression. Aria chuckled with amusement, a knowing twinkle in her eye. _"If you two can untangle yourselves for a moment, I'd like to check her over. Make sure she and the baby are healthy."_

We didn't need much persuasion, and I allowed her to scan me over. Once she cleared me and my child healthy and free of risk, she allowed us to leave. We walked out hand in hand and went to the communal cafeteria area. We picked up some cooked deer and retreated to our hollow. We sat on the hammock, and Blue Eyes went out of his way to make sure I ate enough. He had tried to get me to pile food onto my plate, but I had to remind him that this was just a snack, and if I ate this much right now, I wouldn't be able to eat dinner.

When we finished our late midday meal, we settled down into the comfortable bedding of our hammock. Every chance he got he would touch my abdomen. I was elated about this now that my initial anxieties were taken care of. I tried not to think about the colony's reaction to this. I'd underestimated them time and time again, I didn't want to add any unnecessary stress to this new baby. The only thing I really had to worry about was my human family's reaction. Blue Eyes and I decided the first of them we'd tell would be Alexander, since he had taken Blue Eyes' and mine's relationship so well.

I was jerked out my thoughts when I felt Blue Eyes' hand on my belly again, and he pushed his face into the back of my shoulder. I smiled a teary smile when I heard him whisper, "That's my baby."


	28. Chapter 28

 

I woke to the sound of Blue Eyes' snoring. I turned over in his arms and kissed his throat. I laid in his arms as I basked in the fog of sleep. When Blue Eyes' snoring stopped, I knew he'd be waking up very shortly. I had gotten used to his sleeping mannerisms very quickly, and I was thankful that he didn't do anything that woke me up at night. True to my guess, the simian's grip on me adjusted and strengthened slightly, signifying that he was awake. I nuzzled into his chest as a good morning greeting, and he breathed deeply before resting his mouth against my forehead.  
  


"Should we get up?" I mumbled.  
  


"No." He grunted.  
  


"You're so lazy." I sighed.  
  


"Not lazy. Just selfish." He adjusted his grip and I felt his large hand splay out over my belly. I laid my hand over his, enjoying the warmth from his palm.  
  


"I'm hungry." I mumbled, feeling an empty ache in my stomach.  
  


Not a second after I uttered those two little words, Blue Eyes was up and I was suddenly in his arms bridal style. He placed me down, took my hand and led me out into the village. I lifted a hand when the sun shone in my eyes, but Home Tree's broad branches gave me relief very soon. Apes were just starting to get up when we arrived at the slab of food that early risers had spread with fruit and vegetables and nuts and all sorts of goods.  
  


Three hours later, I looked up to see a Gorilla Guard escorting none other than Alexander through the Gates, protecting him from the curious and energetic children that swarmed him. Since the peace treaty had been finalized, a few brave humans had chosen to visit the ape village. Of course, there were rules, there were no weapons of any kind permitted. The humans were to respect the village and its inhabitants, no harm was to be brought, from human or ape. And last but not least, if a human is asked to leave the village, they must leave.  
  


I had been timid of this new occurrence, and I still was. I've been trying embrace this, but I was still frightened and mistrustful of interaction with other humans. I was used to Malcolm and Ellie and Alex, but I didn't know these other people, and I was afraid of running into a familiar face. A part of me was terrified that one of them might recognize me and rough me up, but the rest of me knew that that was a completely irrational fear. No one could hurt me. I had friends all over the village and I knew that even apes whom I hadn't made the acquaintance of would defend me, at least I hoped. And Blue Eyes wouldn't tolerate it either, especially not now that we knew I was carrying our child, he had been extra protective of me. I was completely safe and I knew it.  
  


I still couldn't get over my mistrust of new humans though. I was polite and I tried not to stray away too much, not wanting to come off as rude. A few had wanted to speak with me, and while I wasn't personally comfortable with it, I was an ambassador and I knew that I had to act like one. They mostly just asked what it was like living here and how I was doing and how they were terribly sorry about the mishap with 'that idiot, Carver'  
  


Alexander was a frequent visitor, and had made many friends in the village. Like they had me, the apes were changing Alex for the better. He had been coming out of his shell little by little, and he was much more talkative now. He was trying to learn to sign again, and he was coming along very well. He had inspired a few humans to try to learn as well, so a few apes had taken to teaching them how to communicate through gestures, and in return the humans helped them with verbal speech. I liked knowing that this peace treaty had gone so well. It was better than I had hoped. I had only expected us to coexist peacefully beside one another, but now we were mingling and creating friendships. In my wildest dreams it couldn't have gone so well. But then again, it wasn't like this had been going on for years, it had only been two months.  
  


Anything and everything could still go wrong.  
  


But, it was good to stay realistic yet optimistic, wasn't it?  
  


My though train was derailed when my brother approached. He sat down and we both welcomed him with a smile and greeting. "Hey, brother."  
  


"Hey, guys." He returned, catching the baby carrot I tossed at him. He nodded in thanks before crunching on it.  
  


Blue Eyes and I shared a glance. _"Now?"_ He asked.   
  


_"Might as well."_ I replied with a shrug.   
  


I took a deep breath before clearing my throat to get his attention. When he met my eyes, I said, "I need to talk to you."  
  


He raised a brow at my tone. "Is everything alright?"  
  


"Everything's fine. But we need to tell you something." I answered.  
  


Alex looked concerned. "Okay. What is it?"  
  


"Not here. Come on." Blue Eyes interjected, getting up and offering his hand to me. After allowing myself to be helped up, we led Alex over to the area where many abandoned huts stood. I wasn't sure why exactly no one occupied them, but their vacancy had worked out well for me a few times, so I didn't really question it. Once we were in the back of the area, to a spot where we were sure no one would overhear us, Blue Eyes and I faced Alex.

 

"Okay, what's going on?" Alex asked.  
  


Now I was nervous. He had taken everything else so well, but this was different. What if he got creeped out and started distancing himself? I didn't want to lose my brother. Not again. _Stop it,_ I chided myself, _he would never do that_. I was just making myself paranoid, and that wouldn't do any good. I needed to stop assuming the worst and just accept whatever outcome may be.  
  


"Rain, what's going on? You guys are starting to freak me out. Is something the matter, what?" Alex said, his concern clear in his voice.  
  
Blue Eyes stood behind me, holding me to his chest. He held my shoulder with one large hand, and I put mine over his, glad for the comforting reassurance. He was there, if anything went wrong I knew Blue Eyes would take it upon himself to handle it.  
  


"Alex, I'm pregnant." I decided to come right out and say it.  
  


"What?" His face dropped.  
  


My body tensed, and I felt Blue Eyes wrap his other arm around my waist, telling me that I was safe, and warning Alex that he would protect me if he had to. Not that Alexander needed to be reminded. He had always known that.  
  


"You're-you're _pregnant?"_ He gaped.  
  


I nodded, biting my lip.  
  


"How did this happen?"  
  


"Well, Alex when two people-"  
  


"Nah-nah-nah! I know how it happened. Just...how? I didn't think that it was possible for two different species to have a kid." He tilted his head.  
  


I felt a little better now. He wasn't ranting and raving like Dax might have done, and he wasn't showing any disgust like I had feared. He was just initially curious. I could work with that. Blue Eyes and I exchanged a glance.  
  


"Neither did we." Blue Eyes answered.  
  


"Other types of animals have done that before, but I didn't know apes and humans could." Alex murmured, back to his quiet self.  
  


I shrugged. "Apparently we can. Any thoughts?"  
  


His gaze flicked between me and Blue Eyes until his steel colored gaze fixated on my husband. "I know I don't really need to say this, but I'm obligated to as her big brother. You did this, so you're gonna take care of her and this kid, 'cause if you don't, I'll kick your ass right off that waterfall. Got it?"  
  


"Got it." Blue Eyes agreed without missing a beat.  
  


"Great, in other news...I'm gonna be an uncle!" A wide smile split his face.  
  


He then scooped me up bridal style and started jumping up and down. "Gonna be an uncle! Gonna be an uncle! Gonna be an uncle!" He chanted happily as he jumped. I clung to his neck tightly, gasping and giggling.  
  


Alexander put me down beside Blue Eyes and hugged the chimp. "And you're gonna be a daddy!"  
  


Blue Eyes beamed. "I know!"  
  


I laughed. "It's so good to know I can always rely on you to take things so well."  
  


"Well after this crappy life, it's great that things are finally starting to turn up. I'm glad you're happy now. Both of you." He answered.  
  


"We're glad you're happy too. It's good to see you emerge from your little shell." I teased as Blue Eyes wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder.  
  


"You had a shell too, remember? How long did it take you?"  
  


"Not very long at all, actually." I replied.  
  


"Well, you work fast, don't you?" Alexander teased Blue Eyes.  
  


"One of my many qualities." Blue Eyes played along with him.  
  


I pffted. "That's one way to say it."  
  


"Sorry, what?" Blue Eyes started tickling me. "Didn't quite, catch that."  
  


My knees buckled as I tried to squirm away, pressing my back into his chest as I tried to quell my laughter. Soon I ended up on the ground and Blue Eyes crouched beside me, his fingers remembering my every ticklish spot. I squealed and squirmed, trying to escape his touch, but then Alexander decided to jump in on the action and he allied himself with Blue Eyes. I was trapped between them as they tickled me, and I felt like a little kid again. Soon enough they showed me mercy, and they relented. I laid there gasping for air as a few stray giggles bubbled up out of me.  
  


"You guys suck." I panted.  
  


"I'm very tempted to reply, 'and you swallow' but I won't." Alex said.  
  


I flipped him off, and he chuckled. But then his expression changed. "Rain, I think you're starting to show a little."  
  


"What?" Blue Eyes and I gasped in unison. I sat up and gazed down at my tummy.  
  


True enough, my stomach sported a small bump. I breathed out a laugh and my hand went to lift my top up a little. Blue Eyes' hand reached out and spread out over my midriff. I looked up at him and felt something in me melt at the tender love and happiness I seen in his pale blue irises. We leaned forward and rested our foreheads against each other's. When we pulled back, I leaned up and gave him a slow peck.  
  


"I'll leave you two alone. Congratulations, both of you." Alex smiled, and we both thanked him, but we were a bit distant. We were too caught up in the prospect of our child. Alex left, and in the back of my mind I felt bad, but I would properly thank him and talk to him later. I couldn't believe how much my life had changed. A year ago I wasn't very sure that it was possible to be this happy, but now I knew for sure. No matter how hard it gets, there's always something good that will happen sooner or later. I had to wait much over ten years, but now I was so glad that I had chosen to wait it out.  
  


I had found myself married to the love of my life and now I was carrying his child. The happiness that thought gave me brimmed in my eyes, distorting my vision slightly. Blue Eyes pulled me to his chest and I leaned into his warmth.  
  


_"We're a family now."_ My hands signed softly.  
  


The smile Blue Eyes gave me was tender and languorous. He leaned down and kissed me. I returned it slowly, and we spent the rest of the morning there, in that patch of abandoned homes, basking in each other's presence.

 


	29. Chapter 29

-two weeks later-

Telling Cornelia and Caesar about my pregnancy went well enough. After the initial shock and worries, Cornelia was absolutely ecstatic, and Caesar had seemed like he was trying to hide his excitement. I was immensely happy to be receiving such wonderful reactions from everyone we told. The king and queen found out a week ago, and we had let Ash in on the news later the same day we had told Alexander.

Of course, the first thing he had said was, "You had seeex."

That's Ash for you. Afterward, he gave us his congratulations and his support, reacting much like Alex had. He couldn't wait to be Uncle Ash. Now the next people we had to tell was my side of the family. I was a little nervous about telling Ellie, but it was Malcolm I was really worried about. I would have been worried telling him even if this baby was completely human, but I dearly hoped he wouldn't discriminate. He wouldn't, right? He had seen first hand how evolved and un-animal-like the apes were. And he knew about the relationship Blue Eyes and I had had even before the wedding.

I decided to tell Ellie first. I found it worked well to explain things to her first before Malcolm, that way when it came time to tell my father Ellie would be able to calm him down and get him to listen. She was good at that. Her presence calmed people. I think that was what helped me get used to her so quickly. Back then that normally never would have happened. I had always minded my manners but to trust someone so quickly had been much out of the norm.

Right now I was with her. She had taken to helping the Obas, like I had. We were out in the forest, and I was showing her some of the good places to find healing herbs. As we kneeled on the soft ground, picking the leaves off of important plants, I mentally prepared myself.

"Um, Aunt Ellie?" I started.

"Yeah?"

I cleared my throat. "I'm pregnant."

I didn't look up from where I was harvesting roots, but I was aware that she had stopped working. I wasn't sure if she had been aware already, I was showing a lot. But not enough that the ignorant couldn't blame it on eating too much. When I got the courage to look up at her, she was staring at my stomach. When she seen my body shift slightly when I turned to her, Ellie's eyes snapped up to meet mine.

"What?" She whispered.

I nodded at her unspoken question. I looked on with guarded eyes, trying to gauge her reaction. Her lips were parted and her hands were limp in her lap. I took in a soothing breath as I awaited her next words.

"You mean that...oh my god. Are you sure?" She gaped.

I turned my body so she could see my right side and lifted up my shirt, showing off the bump. She breathed a slow gasp, her eyes glued to my midriff. "Positive."

"Oh my god, Rain. This isn't possible." She continued to stare, and I was getting uncomfortable, so I pulled the hem of my shirt down, and her eyes met mine again.

I shrugged. "Somehow it is."

The look I gave her made her understand what I was silently asking. Her expression changed and she nodded. "I'll talk to him. I think you should be the one to tell him, though."

I sighed. "I will. But I'm scared to. What if he doesn't understand?"

"Rain, your father is one of the most open minded men I've ever met. He accepted the apes for what they are very quickly, didn't he? And he made no real objection when he found out about the feelings you and Blue Eyes have for each other, right?" She consoled.

"Well, yeah, but, now I'm pregnant. Fathers don't always react well when their daughters have their first children under normal circumstances, how is he gonna react to this? I'm afraid that he'll look at me differently from now on." I gave in to my worries.

"Have faith in your father. I've known him much longer than you have. He's full of surprises." She smiled at me.

I took a deep breath, deciding to trust in my cousin-aunt. "Do you know if he's coming here today?"

"He said he would try. He's been very busy." She replied.

I nodded. "Let's get these back to the healing hut."

With that we packed up our baskets and headed back toward the village. When we passed the Gates, we stopped to exchange a few words with Wes the gorilla. He was getting bigger, I'd noticed. The gorillas often trained to keep up their strength for when they'd need it, and it showed in Wes. He was almost done growing as well, but honestly I couldn't imagine him hurting a fly. But I knew he could, that was one thing I never allowed myself to forget around gorillas. Sometimes they could forget their own strength and while they didn't mean to, some apes sometimes sported accidental bruises.

We made it into the cool lamp-lit rooms of the healing hut. I brought her to the herb store and we handed the baskets over to the apprentices to be sorted and organized. I led her back outside afterward and ran into Haze and Harley. The next two hours were spent playing with them, and by the time the hunting parties came back in, I seen my father walk in with them. He hadn't been apart of the hunt, but he must have run into them when they came home. Blue Eyes, Ash, Koba and Caesar were among the parties, but they had duties to attend to before they could go on their ways.

I spotted my husband, but he was distracted with explaining something to a younger chimp as they led their horses to the paddock. My father, however, had spotted Ellie and I and made his way over. I almost wished he hadn't come today. I knew Ellie still wanted to talk to me about this before letting Malcolm in on it, but we had been unable to turn away the children, thus unable to retreat to a private area to converse. But I really wanted to get it out of the way. I'd been dreading this conversation and now was a good time because Blue Eyes was preoccupied and Malcolm wouldn't know where he was right now.

Malcolm greeted both of us with a kiss to each of our heads. "Hey, guys. What's up?" He said to Haze and Harley.

"Hi, Uncle Malcolm!" Haze greeted.

I was surprised when he said that, but then it warmed my heart. Hopefully everything would go well, as it miraculously had with the others. Ellie gave me a look, and I knew that if I didn't do it now, Ellie would start it for me. I sighed and looked up at my father.

"Dad? Can I talk to you for a moment? Over there?" I motioned a quiet corner below Home Tree.

He nodded. "Sure."

We left Ellie with the boys and I led him over to the spot I picked out previously. When we were under the overhang, I advised him to sit down.

"Why?" He asked as he sat on a small boulder.

"Just...you're gonna wanna be sitting when you hear what I have to say." I said.

"What, you're not gonna tell me you're pregnant are you?" He said jokingly.

I stared at him, not knowing how to respond to that. But my silence said it all.

His face dropped. "What?"

"Surprise!" I said nervously, fanning my hands out for a moment.

"What?" He repeated.

I bit my lip and nodded. "Yeah."

My hands unconsciously went to my belly, something I had caught myself doing frequently. His eyes went to my midriff, and I seen the blood drain from his face as he finally took notice of the bump. His Adam's Apple bobbed in his throat and his jaw dropped a little.

"Please don't be mad!" I said, my hands wringing themselves under my chin.

It took a long time before he seemed to hear me, and when he did Dad licked his lips a few times before responding. "I'm not mad."

"You're not?" I quirked my head, frightened and skeptical.

"I'm not mad." He repeated.

He got up and started pacing, his hands running through his hair. I stood back and gave him room to pace as he thought this over. I was nervous, and I tried not to fidget as I stood and let him do what he needed to to cope with this new revelation.

"How did this- wait, no, don't answer that." He turned to face me. "A-are you sure that you're..?"

"Yes." I nodded, hoping he wouldn't freak out.

"A-and he knows?"

"Of course." I replied.

"What does he think?" Malcolm suddenly stood straight and crossed his arms over his chest. His expression wasn't critical, more like ready to defend if I produced an unsatisfactory answer.

"He's excited. We both are." I responded, I was starting to calm down a little, Malcolm didn't seem to openly oppose the idea. "Alex already gave him that talk." I added when I seen the look in his eye.

"Alex knows?" He asked.

I nodded.

He closed his mouth, licked his lips again and gave my belly a glance. "How-how far along are you?"

"Um..about two months, I think." I said, thinking back to the camping trip.

"You think?"

"Well I only found out a few weeks ago. And I don't have an exact conception date." I lightly defended myself.

He sighed. "Okay. As long as Blue Eyes takes care of you and the kid I don't have any objections. How's the colony taken it?"

"We've only told the people closest to us. The colony finds out when they notice themselves. I'm hoping they'll take it as well as they did everything else." I answered.

Malcolm scanned me up and down. "Well...you're glowing."

I laughed and jumped at him. Dad caught me in his arms and I hugged him tightly. Of course he didn't return it with as much fervor as I, afraid to squeeze too hard and hurt my baby.

"You're going down the same path I went down. I became a father at nineteen and now I'm a grandfather at thirty eight. You're aging me, squeaker."

Laughter bubbled from my lips again. "I can't help it."

"I couldn't help it either. Right about now, your mom would be jumping on the balls of her feet right now. You remember how she was." He kissed my temple.

I looked up at him. "You think so?"

"Of course. She couldn't wait for you three to have your own kids." He laughed, finally letting his shoulders fall completely.

A smile stretched my lips, and I felt tears well up in my eyes slightly. I couldn't wait to meet my child.


	30. Chapter 30

\- three weeks later -

I knew from the start that there would be complications. Now they were being addressed. I sat in a large room in the back of the healing hut with Aria, Blue Eyes, my father, Ellie, and an old coworker of my mother's, his name was Armando. He was a nice man. He was from South America and carried an accent, the only remnant from his childhood. But he had a background in gynecology and, surprisingly, he was also a practiced veterinarian. I had seen him a few times before in the village, but now I was especially glad for the immediate fascination and admiration he held for the apes. As soon as Ellie had explained our situation to him, he had been more than happy to help.

Once he set eyes on me the first thing he did was light up his face and talk about how much I looked like my mother. I was starting to get tired of hearing it. A few of the humans who had been to visit the village had known my mother, and they knew who I was to her as soon as they laid eyes on me. And a few had said so. I honestly didn't see it. My mom had been beautiful, in my opinion. Her hair had always flowed down her back, long and shiny. She had had the prettiest brown eyes, and she had a little tiny beauty mark just under her left eye. I didn't have one. In my eyes my mother had been no less than a goddess. How could others see anything on par with Dr. Lana Harley in me? I could understand a resemblance, I was her daughter after all, but sometimes people were adamant about how I looked so much like her. I didn't understand it, but I didn't question it out loud.

Armando was a nice man, and I liked him soon after meeting him. He had a hearty laugh and a smile that made you feel happy for reasons unknown. He had much the same affect on everyone in the room as Ellie did, and it was a good quality in a doctor and veterinarian. It helped a lot, because he didn't beat around the bush once, he approached things gently out of consideration but he wasn't one to just hint at things, he flat out said it.

"Humans and apes have roughly the same gestation period, so I very much suspect that you'll be carrying for the usual amount of time, around nine months." Armando was saying. "It's more the delivery and afterward I'm most worried about.

"Labor and delivery is much longer and more strenuous in humans. Whereas the labor period for a chimp is around two hours long, humans can have up to ten to twelve hours to prepare for the actual birth. This is one of our grey areas. We don't know how much you'll dilate, or for how long. There's also the complication of position.

"Humans have to deliver on their backs with their legs bent at the knee, apes do not need to do this. I don't think we'll have much choice that way but to have you on your back as well. The reason the women need to lay like this is because of the longer legs." He explained. Aria had asked him to be detailed in his explanations, she wanted to turn this into a learning experience for the Obas as well. Some sat on the beams high above our heads in the roof, listening in on the conversation. Deja waited in the threshold with Cornelia and Caesar, as well. Both of them were interested to hear how this would happen.

"Another minor concern of mine is your size. Your hips seem wide enough to cause little concern, but all your proportions could mean is you are in for a bit more pain when it comes time to deliver." He shrugged at me with a sympathetic look.

I sighed. "How wonderful." I leaned into Blue Eyes, who sat beside me on a moss cot, his arms hugging my torso.

"There are only two more things I can think of that we are unsure of. How the baby will develop while in your womb, and out of your womb. A birth like this has never occurred before, so we do not know what to expect, and I cannot properly prepare you. However, I promise the both of you that I will do my best to make sure everyone comes out alright, excuse the figure of speech.

"Apes grow and mature much faster than humans, as you all know, so this is another grey area. Once the child is born, we have no way to know if certain parts of its anatomy will grow rapidly or be stunted. There are always possible complications to any birth, but this is a special case. If I were you, I would prepare myself for the possibility that the child may be in for a challenging future. Hopefully these will only be anxieties and nothing more, but I want you to know that the possibility is real." Armando said, and I could tell he was trying to be gentle.

Blue Eyes gave me a gentle squeeze and I reached up to hold his hand, looking for reassurance. His strong, rough but soft grip on my hand caused a heat to flow into me, and it helped to calmed the cold pit of worry in my tummy. I nodded to Armando's words.

"We understand." I said softly.

Armando gave a small, apologetic smile that bordered being happy. "Is there anything else anyone would like to discuss?"

I nodded. "I'm worried about the Flu. The stillbirths in the city. Is there any chance..?" I clutched my shirt, my knuckles pressing lightly I into my bump.

No one in the city really cared all that much about how young you were when you had a child, not like they did before the Flu. Now the only look a pregnant teen would get would be pity and worry for the child, instead of disdain and shame for the mother. Pregnancy was a dangerous thing in the city. Many babies didn't live until delivery.

Armando sighed and clasped his hands in front of him. "Yes, that's another thing. Like the stillbirth cases, there's nothing we can do to control it, it's all a matter of genetic immunity. For those of you who don't know, the only humans who are still alive are genetically immune to the Simian Flu that killed the rest of the human race," he began to explain for the apes present.

"But some children are not immune, even if both of their parents are. There have been many cases where babies are born already dead from the sickness. Back to your question, the answer is, I don't know. But your child may have a very good chance. It may or may not carry your immunity, Rain, but it's father is Blue Eyes. I think that your genes will favor the immunity, since yours are naturally stronger." He said, his eyes meeting Blue Eyes' when he reached the end.

I sighed, comforted by his optimism, and leaned into Blue Eyes' nape again. "We'll be okay, Bird." My prince whispered in my ear. "We'll figure, everything out."

I nodded against his neck before sitting up a little straighter. "Thank you for the help, Armando."

"Of course. If there is anything else I could do for you, please, don't hesitate to ask me. Congratulations, both of you." He smiled.

Blue Eyes and I thanked him in unison. Everyone filed out afterward, leaving Blue Eyes and I alone. I heard Aria asking Ellie and Armando to stay a while more and teach the Obas a bit more about human anatomy, in case something unfortunate were to happen now that the village seen more human activity. Both agreed, but their voices faded away as they walked away from the door. I sat in Blue Eyes' arms for a long time, just soaking up the silence and the comfort in one another's presence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Blue Eyes' voice murmured after a while.

"Tell you what?" I asked softly.

"Stillbirths."

"I didn't even remember until he started talking about all these...possibilities." I looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I kind of blind sided you, huh?"

He breathed in. _"It's okay. It's good that you brought it up to a doctor."_ He signed, his hands kind of faltering a bit with the last sign. He was used to saying 'Oba' not 'doctor'.

I reached my neck up and kissed the side of his mouth. He rewrapped me in his arms and we laid down on the moss cot, facing each other. Blue Eyes leaned forward and our foreheads laid against each other's. We laid in silence for another ten minutes before I felt Blue Eyes' hand travel down and lift up my shirt. His long fingers stretched over my bump, and I felt the heat from his palm seep into my skin. I laid my hand over his and breathed in.

"We're having a baby." I whispered, once again awed by the concept.

"Does it ever..." He trailed off, and as soon as I met his gaze, I knew what he was trying to say.

"Hit you in the face like a truck?" I asked.

"That's it." He nodded, a smiling forming on his face.

I laughed, and Blue Eyed started to chuckle, pulling me in closer to him. "We're really doing this.." I trailed off once we sobered up.

Blue Eyes sucked in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Yeah, we are." He suddenly looked closer at me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded and looked away, down at his chest. He hooked a finger under my chin and forced me to meet his glacial gaze. I was shocked anew at how bright and intense his eyes were, and I remembered how much I loved waking up to them every morning. But then I remembered what he had asked me, and my original thought train came back to me. I could feel the tensed grip he had on my chin, and I knew he wouldn't let me look away until I answered his question.

"What if I'm not a good mom?" I murmured, biting my lip.

His hand moved from my chin to gently hold my head, and I felt his fingers run through my hair. "Come on, you're great with, the village children. We'll figure it out as we, go."

I looked up at his face and felt a little more reassured by his words. He seemed to believe them, and his confidence helped me. We soon left the healing hut, and Blue Eyes took me for a walk into the forest. The fresher air and silent solitude of the great redwoods helped relieve some of the stress of today. We soon passed a large oak tree, and I spotted a nice looking bowl shape in the branches. I pointed it out to Blue Eyes, and while he protested at first, I convinced him that I could climb it. When he relented, it was only with the condition that I let him help me up. I knew that I couldn't escape his protectiveness, so I allowed him to lead me up the tree.

Soon I found myself reclined in Blue Eyes' arms, my shirt laying beside us as we both gently rubbed the bump on my tummy. I nuzzled him under his jaw with my head, feeling the need to be close to him. He tightened his grip and nuzzled me back, kissing my hair. The sun trickled in through the branches, warming my body. I felt safe, protected by the tree and by the muscle clad biceps of my husband. The birds sang softly around me, the branches whistling in the wind, adding to the music of the forest.

I breathed in Blue Eyes' pine sap scent and a soft smile stretched my lips. I nuzzled my face into his chest and felt myself starting to slip into a conscious sleep. The sounds of the world blurred and mixed together into a white noise lullaby, and I was lulled even further by the feel of my body rising and falling with Blue Eyes' breathing. The last thing I was aware of was my husband's face resting gently on my head. And then I fell into a dream that was nothing but blackness and the sound of baby babble.


	31. Chapter 31

_-three weeks later [17 weeks along]-_

I sat at breakfast with Blue Eyes and my parents in-law. It was odd to think of them like that, but Cornelia insisted, bless her sweet soul. It was even weirder to think of Haze as my brother in-law, but it was easy to think of the little cutie as family. I was just finishing my celery when I felt something I hadn't yet felt before. I gasped at the startle and my hands flew to my belly. I was showing openly now, and the colony had mostly caught on.

Most were stupefied by the notion that I had been able to conceive, but most came to terms with it and congratulated me and Blue Eyes. Speaking of him, he was at my side immediately, hooting and asking if I was okay. Caesar and Cornelia froze, and the older mother grabbed Haze to keep him quiet and out of the way.

"I-I felt something..." I muttered, staring down at my bump with wide, observant eyes. I gasped again at the abrupt, fluttery feeling that hit me in a certain area. "I think the baby just kicked!" I gasped excitedly.

"What?" Blue Eyes gasped.

He scooted himself next to me and wrapped an arm around my waist, his other hand reaching out toward my belly. His hand hovered over my skin for a moment before he seemed to work up a nerve, and he placed his hand over my baby bump. Only a few short seconds later did I feel another kick, and both of us gasped. My oddball eyes were caught up by Blue Eyes' cerulean orbs, and all I could do was smile at the happiness and excitement that was there. I let out a little 'oh!" when I felt it again, and Blue Eyes' shoulders jumped a little when he gasped.

Haze had wiggled away from Cornelia and came to stand in front of us. He climbed up onto the log I sat on, and gazed between my bump and Blue Eyes and I, seeming perplexed. "What's happening?" He asked.

_"Baby's moving."_ I signed to him, my smile still not leaving my looked back at my bump, tilted his head and stared. His gaze didn't waver and we all sat in silence, awaiting the child's next move. He finally looked back up at Blue Eyes and I.

_"I don't see anything."_ He signed, looking as confused as he likely felt.

We all giggled at his ignorance. "Give me your hand." I reached out, waiting for him to put his not entirely tiny hand in mine. He tentatively did as I asked, and I drew him over to my belly. I placed his hand on my baby bump, his hand lightly curled into a fist. Very soon I felt the baby kick again, but before I could do it myself, Blue Eyes took his younger brother's hand and guided it to where his had once been.

Haze's face bloomed from a bewildered bud, to a jaw slacked amazement. He stood there for a while, even after the child had stopped kicking for now, his hand sitting on my belly. For a while I wondered if he was holding his breath, but I guessed against it when time continued to move on. When he looked up at me, his gaze shifted between me, Blue Eyes and then to his parents, who sat watching with a fondness and interest in their countenances.

_"That's your niece or nephew."_ I signed when he looked back at me. _"You'll be Uncle Haze soon."_

The smile that stretched Haze's face would stay in my memory forever. _"When can I meet the baby?"_ He signed energetically.

I laughed at his enthusiasm. "Not for a few months."

_"But that's such a long time!"_ He made a whining face.

"I know." I laughed.

_"Why so long?"_ He asked.

_"Baby needs to grow. Not ready for the outside yet."_ Blue Eyes said.

_"But why does it take so long to grow?"_ He pouted.

"Well, it's a lot of work to grow." I shrugged.

_"I wish it would hurry up."_ He signed.

"Me too." Blue Eyes agreed.

- **[24 weeks along]** -

My belly had grown very much, and could be prominently seen from afar. The rate the baby was growing at surprised me, I didn't remember my mother's bump growing so quickly, but then again my mother's baby wasn't half chimpanzee. But still, chimps were pregnant for the same amount of time as humans, the fact that the child was growing so quickly worried us all. I might be delivering sooner than expected.

Very faint stretch marks showed on my upper thigh and abdomen, but oddly enough, only on the right side. The left side, wear my cougar scars were, was free of the marks. Though now that my skin was stretched so much, the scars I received from the lion now looked jagged and the smallest one almost formed into a lightning symbol. I kind of liked it. I was expecting stretch marks on my. breasts as well, like my mother had gotten. She had freaked out when she first seen her stretch marks there, as my aunt had told me when I was little. She had run around the house topless, going on about how she couldn't believe she got the marks _there._ Maybe the fact that I hadn't gotten them had to do with Ellie lending me a few bras with extra support.

I was coaxed out from my sleep one night to the sound of cooing. I opened my eyes to see darkness still filled the hollow, the lamps and fireplaces that were lit were slowly burning in small licks of flame. When I listened carefully, I realized the cooing sounds were words, and when I pinpointed where it was coming from, I looked down. There was Blue Eyes, laying down farther on the hammock than he usually does, he had rode up the hoodie I wore, and he was gently caressing my tummy. He was talking to our baby, I realized with a jolt of emotion. I stayed still, closing my eyes and focusing on his words.

"...ever let anything happen, to you. You're gonna have, the best mama ever. She doubts, herself a lot, but you'll see. She'll surprise herself. She does it a lot. You'll get used to it. Get big soon, so we can meet you, okay? I love you." I felt him kiss my tummy, just above my belly button, which had turned into an outie.

I felt a rush of love for him and our child crash over me like a rogue wave. It flowed over me and through me, and it's ferocity surprised me. If I started counting my lucky stars now, the morning light would have faded them away before I could finish. I was the luckiest girl out there, my life has changed in such a way that it left me floored. I felt the baby kick, and soon fell back asleep with a smile gracing my lips when it settled.

- **[32 weeks along]** -

I was in the healing hut again, letting the Obas and Armando and Ellie give me another check up. I was to come in for one every other day, so we could make sure that everything was fine. Every day my bump continued to grow, so much so that I now usually stuck to the hollow or the base of Home Tree, so I didn't overexert myself. The farthest I wandered was to the healing hut and the bathing falls, and even then I was always escorted there. Blue Eyes never missed a check up, and someone else usually came along too. Today it was Alex.

The check up had gone well, and I was told to expect an early delivery. Armando and Aria and a few of my midwives confirmed that they felt the child starting to aline itself with my birth canal. I was bursting with excitement and nerves, I didn't know what to do with myself. Now that we knew Blue Eyes and I's child would be joining us in the world soon, Ellie and Armando had been staying in the village until the baby was born, to ensure that if anything should go wrong, I and my child would have a better chance of recovery.

I had been a little concerned when I arrived for the appointment, the baby hadn't been kicking as often. For the past five months the baby had been actively kicking, to the point where sometimes I wondered if bruises would show on my tummy. But I could still feel movement though, I could feel it squirming inside me. It was one of the weirdest, and one of the coolest things I had ever felt before. I loved it.

When the check up was over, I stayed for a few minutes longer to talk with Deja and Brent, whom I had seen regularly with these frequent visits. I was overjoyed to hear that they had finally confessed to each other. They made the cutest couple, and both were bashful about it when I said so. I was glad that Brent had finally thrown his apprehension to the wind and kissed her. I could see both were happy with each other, so I was happy. Seeing them together made me wonder if people seen something similar in Blue Eyes and I. I hoped so, seeing the two Obas like that filled me a warmth that made me want to hug both of them tightly.

- **[36 weeks along]** -

I was making my way back from the bathing falls with Cornelia and Heloise when it happened. I felt a strange rush of liquid and for a moment I thought I had somehow peed my pants, but when I felt the pain I knew exactly what was going on. I cried out when I felt my first contraption move through me, feeling like one of the worst menstrual cramps I had ever felt. My hands went to my stomach as my knees started to buckle, and Cornelia and Heloise were quick to help support me. I heard the two hooting and barking loudly in my ears, trying to call help to the scene.

I panted as I rested for the brief moment of painlessness, feeling my stomach drop as I realized how terrified I was. "I think the baby's coming!"

A gorilla picked me up gently and rushed me towards my hollow. I didn't recognize him as Luca until he had put me down on the moss bed inside and I was swarmed by my midwives and a few Obas. Another contraption rippled through me as my animal skin pants and underwear were removed, and I cried out and bit my lip, trying to silence myself. I heard Ellie's and Armando's voices, but I was clenching my eyes shut, so I didn't know where exactly they were.

I wanted Blue Eyes, but he had left an hour ago on a hunting trip with Caesar. I hoped they would hurry back, but I knew he would probably be gone for another hour. Still I signed his name, hoping he would somehow hear me calling him in my thoughts and hurry back to me. Aria signed to me that they would bring him in as soon as he returned, and not to worry. I knew that I really didn't need to worry, I was in good, capable hands and the hunting party would most likely be back before it was time to deliver, but I wanted my prince. I desperately needed to see those icy irises and to feel his light, rough touch on my hand.

But beside my fear there was also excitement. Just shortly I'd finally be able to lay eyes on my firstborn. I'd dreamed of what that would feel like, and the part of my mind that wasn't freaking out was giddy with excitement and jittery nervousness.

* * *

**Hey, sorry if I get anything in the labor/delivery/pregnancy in general department wrong, I'm not a mother and far from being one, so if not everything is accurate I'm sorry. I hope you enjoyed the chapter :)**


	32. Chapter 32

Labor was both quick and sempiternal seeming all at the same time. It was maybe an hour and a half before I had to start pushing. Ellie and Aria were at my head, directing and reassuring me through the process. I bit down on my lip, barely avoiding puncturing the tender skin as I tried hard to refrain from screaming. I had only pushed twice and I felt like my pelvis was on fire. A drop of sweat trickled down my temple, and though I felt the urge to wipe it away, I didn't, too busy trying to prepare myself for the next contraction.

"You are doing so well, Rain!" Armando encouraged. "One more push should do it. Get ready, one, two, three..."

I gave a tiny grunt before a loud whimpering strained from my throat. I gave a big push, and very quickly I felt instant relief from the searing pain. I slumped down in exhaustion, but a small cry and whimper perked me up again. One of my midwives, Dana, handed me a tiny, wet bundle. I almost forgot to breathe as I gazed down on the little baby chimp in my arms. My eyes burned as I looked down on that wet little ball of fur as it squirmed slightly, pushing its face into my chest as it opened and closed its toothless little mouth.

A tired smile ghosted my face as I lifted a hand and slid a finger down the side of its small head. I barely heard the hoots or felt the pats of congratulations and welcome, the entirety of my attention was with this little child, my baby. But suddenly, another pain swept through me, and I tensed with a sharp gasp. Almost as soon as I gave the indication that I was hurting, everyone sprung back into action.

"Oh-oh my god! There's another one coming!" Ellie gasped.

Suddenly Deja was there, and she gently pried the baby from my arms. I couldn't resist her, I was too caught off guard by another contraction. "M-my baby!" I gasped through the pain.

I was shell shocked at what I had heard. I had already had the baby, what was happening now? I couldn't be having two, could I? But the pain that engulfed my body again begged to differ. I could feel the hands of my midwives and Obas all over me, offering strength and comfort in this unexpected moment, but none of it did anything to relieve the dull agony. But luckily, what took three pushes for the first, took only one for the second. Again I felt a child slide away from me, and a delicate, tinkling little voice cried out in protest.

"It's a girl!" I heard Armando's joyful cry as he handed the baby to an Oba, who in turn passed her to me.

Deja then returned my first child, my son, to me, and I cradled two little chimpanzees in my arms. As soon as I looked at those two bundles, all thought about how I could have possibly just delivered twins and any recollection of discomfort fled my mind completely. The only cognitive thought that was capable of keeping my attention was how much I loved them both. It was an entirely different kind of love than I felt for my brother, the kind I had felt for my mother and eldest sibling, even different than the love I had for Blue Eyes.

This love was fierce and harsh and rash. I knew without a doubt that I was absolutely taken, I would be anything and everything these two little beings needed. These two little beings, for whom I'd spent the past eight and a half months giving life to had stolen my heart in a matter of seconds and I wouldn't have had it any other way. A shift in the vine curtain let in a ray of dying sunshine into the corner of my eye, and I looked up to see my prince standing there, eyes wide and chest heaving slightly. I smiled at the sight of him, happy to finally have him near.

"Blue..." I whispered, wanting to reach out to him but then again never wanting to let go of these two children, who laid still now, nuzzling into my chest. I looked back down when something clicked and I realized what they needed, so I pulled down the neckline of my shirt and guided each to a breast, and they immediately started to suckle. I drew in a breath of wonder at the odd sensation. _So that's what that feels like..._ I thought.

When I looked up again, Blue Eyes was kneeling beside the low moss bed, and I was only vaguely aware of everyone filing quietly out of our hollow, but all I could focus on was Blue Eyes' face. His breathing had calmed considerably, though his eyes stayed wide, almost dazed. I leaned into his touch when he reached out and cupped my face before finally tearing his gaze away from our twins to meet my oddball eyes.

_"Two..?"_ His hand signed.

I took a deep breath before answering softly, "Two..."

He let out a soft puff of air that could have been a laugh, and a small, pure smile adorned his face. I scooted over and nodded with my head for him to climb on with me. He obliged slowly and carefully, shifting his weight with ginger caution as he slid in beside me. He drew me under his arm and I shifted gently to lay more comfortably on his chest. A yawn suddenly parted my lips and I pushed my face into Blue Eyes' pectoral because I couldn't cover my mouth on my own.

"Sleep, Bird." I heard his husky voice whisper.

I sighed in content, feeling luxuriously languorous to have my two small children feeding and safe on my torso while nestled into Blue Eyes' body. The exhaustion of the birthing process suddenly delt it's toll, and I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

-the next morning-

When I awoke, the first thing I noticed was the soreness. I shifted slightly, letting out a soft, sharp breath at the dull sting. I heard a breath of air intake that was not my own, and looked up to see Blue Eyes blinking his lids, trying to open them. When he was awake enough to start registering his surroundings, he looked down at me, but his gaze quickly shifted to the two sleeping babies I held in my arms. I took the time to study them as well, both were dry and warm against me, with the softest looking dark fur. Their delicate little hands gripped my shirt and hair, their wrists looking frail.

The male was bigger than the female, and I knew he had been getting more nutrients than her, and for a moment I worried. But she wasn't incredibly small, like I had been, but she was still little. Both were beautiful, and everything about them filled me with joy. Already I felt proud of them, and they weren't even doing anything right now. I seem Blue Eyes' hand reach out towards them, and I waited to see what my husband would do. His large hand gently brushed the back of their necks, rubbing lightly. Then his arm extended and held my waist, keeping me close as he brought our foreheads together. We laid there together in silence for what was probably ten minutes, just basking in the revelation that we had done it, we were officially a family. But soon we were broken from our silence when a small yawn caught our attention. It was our little boy. I watched as he opened his eyes for the first time, and I held my breath as I took in his eyes.

They were blue.

And around the pupils there was a distinct ring of green, a darker blue also bordering his irises.

When those blue-green eyes met my oddly pigmented orbs, my mouth went dry. And then he gave a tiny sneeze, and at first he seemed startled by the sound and feeling, but then his lips stretched and his toothless little gums could be seen as he laughed. The little breathy pants were familiar to me, and I smiled widely.

"He has your laugh!" I giggled.

"That's what I sound like?" Blue Eyes asked quietly, the amusement clear in his voice.

"Not exactly, but I can hear you in him." I replied, smiling up at the simian.

When I seen the beaming expression he wore, I couldn't help but laugh softly and lean up to kiss his cheek. "What are we going to call him?" He asked.

Taking a second glance at his eyes as the baby took in his surroundings, one name kept coming back to me. "River?"

I looked up at the father of my children as his face dropped in mild surprise. I hadn't chosen just any name. "That's the name..." He trailed off.

"I know. Ash told me." I added at the questioning glance he gave me. What I was referring to was the time Ash and I had been talking about names, long before I was pregnant, long before Blue Eyes and I admitted anything even to ourselves. He had told me that Caesar and Cornelia's first choice for his name had been River, but they had felt that his current name fit him much better. I had to say I agreed.

"You really want to..?" Blue Eyes asked.

"Not if you don't. He's yours too, you have a say." I replied, wondering he would prefer something else.

"No, I do. Just making sure, you do. I think, it's a good name for him." He drew his arm across my shoulders.

"One down, one to go." I mumbled as the newly named River started crawling up me slightly.

His movement must have disturbed his nameless little sister, because she gave a chirp of protest, adjusting her grip on me. I placed a hand on her upper back and shushed her softly. She lifted her head and blinked up at me. As soon as I seen those irises, my breath was stolen right from my lungs. She must have stolen from a star as well, because her eyes were as silver as mercury, streaks and flecks of various shades of purple ringed her irises and pupils. They were gorgeous.

"Looks like, she takes after you." Blue Eyes' voice whispered in my ear.

I looked up at him, lips parted. "My eyes look like that?"

"Sometimes. Not right now."

I hesitated. "What color are they now?"

Blue Eyes leaned back to get a better look at me, and I bit the inside of my lip while I waited. "Orange and pink. For now."

I looked back down at my tiny daughter. "She makes them beautiful."

"You both do." He drew me closer to him again. I sighed in comfort as he kissed my hair. I hummed in response, still silently sticking to my statement. She made the colors beautiful, I didn't see it the same way for myself, they looked strange on me, but on her, they fitted, they were supposed to be like that and any other way would be strange.

I leaned my head back over Blue Eyes' toned bicep and gazed up at the ceiling. Flower nets hung around the border of the ceiling, and I spotted a few sage leaves hanging out of them. My mind wandered slightly as I tried to think of names, and I took a glance at my daughter again. She was watching River as he examined how he could move and flex his fingers, and when I caught another glimpse of the silver in her eyes again, I thought back to white sage. Their seemingly frost covered leaves made me think back to her nameless eyes, and I found I quite liked the idea I got.

"What do you think of Sage?" I murmured as the tiny baby girl started checking out her own fingers.

Blue Eyes have a soft grunt of question, and I took a penny for my thoughts. "Her eyes remind me of the light fur on white sage leaves."

My husband reached out and ran his fingers over the downy soft hair on her head, and she turned and leaned into his hand, a little happy coo coming from her. I think my bones just melted.

"It's perfect." He whispered. "You're all perfect."

I cooed at his sweetness and leaned up and gave him a slow kiss. When we parted I leaned my face into his nape. "I love you, Blue Eyes."

"I love you too."


	33. Chapter 33

-two hours later-

Blue Eyes and I had moved from the moss bed to our hammock a little while ago. I had taken the opportunity to put on some shorts and wrap a piece of fabric around my chest to make breastfeeding easier. It was an idea Ellie had gotten, and it worked wonderfully. River seemed to be fascinated with my hair, so I was sat back while he played with it. Blue Eyes was gently playing with Sage, and even though I knew I didn't have to, I found myself keeping an eye on them. My heart melted at the sight of the happy smile Blue Eyes wore, and the tinkly little laugh Sage had sparked an emotion in me that made me fight back tears of joy.

It was very surprising to see them moving around and playing only a day after being born. But they were part ape and I had expected them to grow quickly, but to be this active so soon caught me off guard. But I didn't let it bother me too much, I had been warned and now it was happening. I just hoped I could keep up with them.

Very soon, around noon, we received some visitors. I looked up to see Ellie peaking in. "Can we come in?"

Blue Eyes and I exchanged a glance before he waved her in. She gestured my father and brother in as she stepped inside. I took in a deep breath and met the first gaze that caught mine. Alexander's. His eyes were wide and he was fighting back a smile before he looked down. His face dropped in shock.

"Twins?" He gasped.

I looked to Ellie. "You didn't tell them?"

She shrugged apologetically. "I wasn't sure if you would want to or not."

My eyes flicked to my father, but his eyes were locked on the little bundle in my arms. It was at this moment that Sage seemed to realize why Blue Eyes had gathered her up into his arms and turned her head around. She let out an 'imp' of surprise and hid her face in Blue Eyes' chest. She pulled out for a moment and reached out to me with a little whine before hiding herself in Blue Eyes' pectoral again. I smiled softly at her reaction and scooted closer, leaning over to kiss her head as I shushed her.

Sage looked up at me, her wide, bright teal and pink eyes shining with confusion. "It's okay, babe." I murmured.

She whined in my direction, reaching out and tried to grab my arm, but she couldn't catch a grip. Blue Eyes extended his arms toward me and I took our daughter up into my arms beside her brother. River scooted closer to her but his gaze stayed fixed on the three newcomers.

"Twins..." Malcolm's almost chocked whisper caught my attention. I looked up at him and all I could see in his body language was stiff shock.

"Dad?" I asked, fixing my arms around my babies as I awaited to hear his thoughts. He jumped slightly at the sound of my voice, as if being shaken out of a trance.

"Are you okay?" I asked as Blue Eyes moved so he could wrap his arms around my waist.

"Are you?" Malcolm returned, finally seeming to get the courage to walk forward. Alex was already crouching beside the hammock, staring at them with happy wonder. I nodded with an affirmative hum. River seemed fascinated by them, and I noticed he had glanced between them and I a few times.

"Have you named them yet?" Alex asked, and I was grateful to have my mind distracted from the stress of awaiting my father's thoughts.

"This is Sage and River." I put a light touch on each as I said their names.

"They're beautiful." Ellie murmured, coming to crouch beside Alexander.

Blue Eyes and I exchanged a glance and answered in unison, "We know."

River suddenly started squirming, and I let him down into my lap. He turned around and quirked his head as he gazed at the humans up close. He gave a few soft imps before turning and giving an inquisitive squeak. I grinned at him. "It's alright."

He looked back tentatively and ambled on his knuckles a little closer to Alexander. The boy stayed still as River approached him. The child reached up and touched Alex's bangs, which had grown very much since I had been reunited with him. When he was done scoping out the young man's hair, he moved to Malcolm, who sat on his son's right side. River examined his face, and the expression Dad wore was so nervous it almost seemed frightened, but he let my son continue looking him over.

River inched closer to him before reaching out with both hands, stretching out his fingers over his cheeks. The child rubbed his palms over the light stubble that ran across his cheeks and jaw. Malcolm had shaved away the short beard that had been there just prior to his election, and now, for appearance reasons, he kept his facial hair mostly in check. River seemed curious about the rough feel of it, but soon a yawn overcame him, and the force of it knocked the poor boy off his feet. Luckily Malcolm reached out and kept him from falling over. Dad picked him up and handed him gently back to me.

It was then that Sage yawned as well, and started mewling softly. It hadn't taken me long to figure out that this was what she did when she was hungry, so without even thinking about it, I unwrapped some of the fabric from my breast and she wasted no time in latching on. River started tugging at the fabric covering my other breast, so I pulled it down and let him suckle as well. Within a few minutes both were snoozing. I looked up when I heard a throat clear, and seen Alex and Malcolm looking away, seeming bashful.

Ellie laughed at them. "You two are such babies. It's natural."

"Oh, sorry guys." I giggled. "I forgot."

I didn't mind if they seen a little more of my skin, my children needed to eat, and I wasn't going to deny them proper access to the food I could give them just because I had a few visitors. Besides, said visitors were family, and I couldn't see them telling me to stop. I felt a small squeeze around my waist and when I noticed Blue Eyes' slightly confused expression, I quickly explained the situation to him while Ellie kept up her teasing.

Blue Eyes thought it was slightly strange, his silent reply saying that there were still some human ways of thinking he didn't understand.

"Don't worry," I replied. "I don't understand a lot about it either."

He responded with a one sided smile and a kiss to my temple. The twins' suckling was getting weaker, and I knew they were falling into a deeper sleep. It was then that I politely asked them to leave, and they understood completely, thank goodness. Part of me was worried their feelings would hurt, but most of me didn't care. I knew what my babies needed and I wasn't going to deny them anything for the sake of good manners.

Maybe twenty minutes later, while Blue Eyes and I were signing back and forth with each other, he apologized for something. _"I'm sorry I wasn't there for the delivery."_

_"It's alright."_ I waved it off. I wasn't upset about it, no one had an exact date. It was just unfortunate coincidence that Blue Eyes had just happened to be out when my labor had started.

_"You're not upset?"_ He asked.

I shook my head. _"I wasn't alone, and everything went fine. Besides, you only missed the second delivery by a minute or two."_

_"I know, but still, I should have been there for you."_ He almost pouted.

I smiled and gently pulled him towards me, bringing our foreheads together. I kept him there for a few seconds before speaking, not letting him go from the embrace. "Blue Eyes, as long as you're here to help me bring them up, I don't care if you weren't present for labor." I whispered.

The familiar gentle touch of his hand on my cheek roused me to open my eyes. The tender gaze he had on me made me want to melt. "How did you pick me? Why me?"

I held his gaze for a moment longer before giving him a soft smile. "Easy. You always make me happy. But it's a different kind of happy, I can't explain it, but only you make me feel it."

I could see him fighting a smile, and beamed up at him. "That's a reason too! I really like it when you smile like that. You look really good when you smile." I had to fight to keep my voice down.

He drew me in for a kiss. "I love you so much." He placed a hand over our sleeping twins. "All of you."

"We love you too."

I yawned very soon afterward, and I decided to take a nap with my babies before Caesar and Cornelia came to visit

* * *

  **Hey, guys. I just want to warn you that I may not be able to get an update out every three days like I have been because I start sophomore year in high school tomorrow. But I'll try my best to keep a steady stream of updates going, but school comes first, so I want to apologize in advance for any slow updates.**


	34. Chapter 34

 

The king and queen had impeccable timing. They came not long after all of us woke up from our early nap, and the twins were up and ready for more visitors. Blue Eyes and I had been talking and signing to them a lot, and while we knew they wouldn't be answering for a while yet, we decided it was good to get them used to communicating like this early on.  
  


I had expected Cornelia to start gushing right away, but she didn't. She approached slowly beside Caesar, neither seemed to realize that there were two chimps in my arms yet. As far as I could tell, they only seen River, who blocked his sister mostly, especially since she hid her face in my chest, like she had done to Blue Eyes. It seemed my little girl was very shy.  
  


Cornelia let out a few soft hoots when she made eye contact with her grandson for the first time. A smile pulled at her lips as she crouched beside our hammock, her hand going up to sign, _"He has your eyes!"_    
  


I felt Blue Eyes' chest move when he let out an affirmative grunt and a puff of laughter. Sage shifted and followed River's gaze, letting out an inquisitive coo. Cornelia gasped and Caesar gave a surprised grunt at the sight of her.  
  


"Twins?!" They gasped in unison.  
  


The smile that overcame Cornelia was so strong she had to cover her mouth with her hands and giggle into Caesar's chest. Caesar looked taken by surprise, which we all were, but very soon he was smiling as well. When Queen Cornelia seemed to get ahold of herself, she was still smiling very widely. She got a closer look at Sage, and I swear I seen her eyes mist up.  
  


_"Oh, Rain. She has your eyes too."_ She signed.  
  


 "They're beautiful!" She breathed.  
  


_"Congratulations, my son. Good luck."_ He added humorously. 

  
Sage and River both seemed absolutely captivated with Cornelia, and I understood completely. She was very beautiful, and even though I was used to it, it still stunned me anew to see just how pretty she was sometimes. River, who had expressed his curiosity easily before, seemed to be stricken bashful in the presence of his grandmother. Sage was shy as ever, but she as well was taken by the pretty chimp. They'd soon learn it wasn't only her looks that made her beautiful, and it made me smile knowing that they'd be coddled and spoiled long after Blue Eyes and I learned to stop treating them like children. But of course, that was long off. I was going to put in my fair share of coddling, and I knew from the moment Blue Eyes made eye contact with them that this was the same for him.  
  


_"I'll need it."_ Blue Eyes joked along with his father.  
  


_"You'll both need it."_ Cornelia snickered.  
  


Her pale jade colored gaze fixated on my twins as they admired her from the sanctuary of my embrace. _"Have you named them yet?"_    
  


I looked up at Blue Eyes, giving him the chance to introduce them to his side of the family. He turned to the new grandparents and recited their names. "Sage and River."  
  


They perked up at that. "River?" Caesar repeated.  
  


"Rain's idea." He rested his chin on my shoulder, and I could feel a soft smile against my jaw.  
  


"I seen his eyes and I couldn't help it. It fits him, don't you think?" I smiled bashfully.  
  


Cornelia took another glance at said child, and after only a few silent seconds of eye contact, she smiled softly and met my odd gaze again with a nod. "It does fit. I love it."  
  


Sage gave a curious imp and tugged at me, drawing me to look down at her. When she found she had my attention, she gave a squeak and crawled up towards me more. I lifted an arm and hugged her, giving her forehead a kiss. Sage locked her hands around my neck and nuzzled into my throat. I hummed to her and stroked her small back.  
  


River then decided to transition from me to Blue Eyes. The little boy kept peeking over his shoulder at Cornelia, but he still seemed too humbled in her presence to do much. I smiled and wondered if that could intel he'd be a ladies man when he grew. _My little heartbreaker,_ I thought fondly.   
  


_"How are you feeling, my daughter? Are you up for the celebration?"_ Caesar asked. Both had taken to calling me that, and honestly it made me want to giggle like a toddler.   
  


I nodded with a smile. "I think so. They should be too." I indicated to my babies.  
  


Cornelia gave a quietly happy hoot. _"Wonderful! I can't wait to see the reactions to those eyes. Both's are so beautiful!"_    
  


I smiled brightly. "I can't wait to see Haze's reaction to them in general."  
  


We all shared a knowing chuckle at the thought of the energetic child. But we were soon distracted when Caesar started signing. _"We brought something for the baby."_  
  


He brought up his other hand, and opened his large fingers to reveal a small bone rattle. I don't know how he kept it from making noise throughout our previous conversation, but the toy came as a pleasant surprise. _"If we had known about this, we would have made two."_ He said, handing it over to Blue Eyes.   
  


_"Don't worry, Sage's will be done by tonight or in the morning. Soon, though."_ Cornelia put in, grinning happily.  
  


"Thank you, both of you. He likes it already." I added, noticing the way River beamed as he shook the little rattle. He bounced in Blue Eyes' arms, holding it above his head and shaking it as he panted. I giggled when Blue Eyes had to shift his head to the side to avoid being hit in the face by the gift.  
  


_"Well, we'll start on preparations. You'll know when it starts."_ Cornelia winked. _"I'll see you all tonight, okay? Bye bye my little pretties."_ She added, tipping each of their chins upward before moving to kiss both of my cheeks.   
  


She moved to Blue Eyes and took his face into her hands and gave him a big kiss to his forehead. _"Look at you, having kids already."_    
  


_"Thanks for the rattle."_ He signed, trying to get the attention off himself.   
  


_"Of course, I'll see you both later."_ With that, she briskly exited the hollow.

 

_"She's excited, you know how she is."_ Caesar signed with a fond shake of his head. He took a long glance at the twins again before giving us all a smile on goodbye. He waved bye bye to the twins before disappearing behind the vine curtain.   
  


Blue Eyes and I exchanged a smile before River let out a small hoot, drawing my attention to both of them. Both looked up at me with wide, curious owlet eyes. "That was your grandma and grandpa." I smiled down at them.  
  


Sage gave a small hoo and looked to Blue Eyes. She reached out to him and I handed her over. "I thank she's a daddy's girl." I grinned.  
  


He tried to hide how big his smile got and gave Sage's head a kiss. River played with his new rattle while Sage investigated Blue Eyes' scars. He had been so worried that they would be frightened by the marks, and now I was glad to see my reassurances had held true. Neither were bothered at all by them, in fact, they seemed intrigued by their father's scars. The scars on his chest had healed well and now they were pale pink jagged streaks against his dark fur. Blue Eyes decided then to pull me flush against his side, and we leaned back with the twins on each of our chests.  
  


I couldn't wait to see how this parenthood gig would go, and I couldn't help wishing my mother were here to meet them. I could definitely use some tips, but I wasn't too worried about that, especially with Cornelia around.

 


	35. Chapter 35

"Twins?!" Ash gasped.

A wide grin cracked his face as he gazed down at the two children in my arms. He stood beside Blue Eyes while I sat with my legs dangling over the edge of the hammock. At this point, it was more of an elevated bed than a hammock. Deja had thought ahead previous to my wedding day and added material to the hammock and we had strung up more vines to hold it up, so it was now roughly the size of a queen sized bed.

_"Double whammy! Why did no one tell Ash?"_ He signed, turning a pointed gaze on his honorary brother.

_"You know now."_ Blue Eyes tried to placate.

He came closer and crouched in front of me, a hand rested on my knee as he looked over my children. He gave a surprised hoot when he finally got a look at their irises. _"Look at those eyes! You two will be just like your parents, huh? If we're lucky you'll take after your Uncle Ash."_

Blue Eyed gave his ear a light cuff as he moved to sit beside me, his arm swinging around my waist possessively. Ash chuckled lightly. _"Only playing. Can't I play with my niece and nephew?"_

Before we could answer, River reached forward placed both hands on the top of his head, ceasing all conversation. The child ruffled his hair and grabbed his ears, tugging slightly. He took a few minutes to play with his uncle's round ears for a moment before Ash winced, and reached up to gently pry his hands away. "Easy." He murmured.

River gave a few imps and went back to exploring him. He seemed to like the pale spots on Ash's muzzle, and poked at them a little. He turned back to Blue Eyes and I and gave a squeak of excitement. We beamed at him, silently encouraging him to continue with Ash. I looked down when Sage started fussing slightly, and I could tell she wanted to go meet Ash as well, but the poor girl was so shy. I nudged her and when she looked up, I gave her a smile and murmured to her that it was okay. She maintained eye contact for a moment longer, her eyes a cerulean color, just like her father's. Then she turned and glanced at Blue Eyes, and he gave his daughter's head a rub with his thumb.

_"No one will hurt you."_ He signed to her, even though she wasn't old enough to understand yet.

She gave another little coo and leaned into my chest, but her eyes stayed locked with her father's. Blue Eyes hooted back softly and she seemed calmed by it. He directed her attention back to Ash, and she gazed at him as he played with River, seeming to be gathering up her courage. She gave a few soft imps and I let her remove herself from my arms, deciding to let her go at her own pace.

Ash could see her coming, but he could see her tentativeness, and thankfully he chose to let her set her own pace as well. Sage crept up behind River, her fingers clutching the fur on his back. When River felt her, he turned away from his new uncle and hugged her. I felt warmth wreath around my hand, and without looking down I laced my fingers with Blue Eyes'. River seemed to understand his sister's situation, and my husband and I ate from the plates Ash had brought as we watched our son coax Sage into meeting Ash. Though they couldn't communicate through sign yet, we could still tell what they wanted and needed more than one would be able to with a human child at this age.

I wondered, how different would their upbringing be from normal? What would happen? We had known as soon as we met River's curiosity that we had our hands full. Both Blue Eyes and I just hoped that we wouldn't drop them along the way.

-later that evening-

Ash soon left, and after getting another rejuvenating nap into the twins, we had played and awaited the party. We had been trying to work on Sage's shyness, but to no avail as of yet. I was a little worried for her, she would likely be very overwhelmed, but she had to get used to it soon. And there would be no avoiding it tonight, every birth was celebrated. I voiced my thoughts to Blue Eyes, but he only told me not to worry, and that she'd learn soon enough that there was nothing to be afraid of outside.

Though I knew he was right, I still worried.

A steady beat started pulsing through the air, and with an exchanged glance with Blue Eyes, I knew it was time. I had been to these kinds of parties before, but now I was the one who would sit with my children in my arms as the village filed by to meet them. I wasn't sure how they would react to the twins, but I assumed it would be much like everyone else's. River took up a place on my back, hanging onto my shirt and looking up over my shoulder while I carried Sage in my arms.

I moved toward Caesar's boulder, following Blue Eyes through the village. We reached an overhang where Caesar had a throne-like chair, though he rarely used it. As grandparents of the new children, he and Cornelia would be there with us. The people made way, and I smiled and softly greeted familiar faces as children tried to get a better peek at my two little ones. The adults ushered most away though, and I made sure to give a bright smile to Pericles when I saw him standing with his hand woven tightly to the fur on his father's large arm. We made it up and sat beside Caesar and Cornelia, who both greeted us happily. Cornelia handed over another bone rattle, and I was surprised it was able to be made so quickly.

But it couldn't have come at a better time, poor Sage was almost trembling with nerves. I got her attention and whispered her to look at what her grandparents had made for her, though she wouldn't understand the words yet. When her green and yellow eyes found the toy, she tilted her head curiously and I gave it one small shake, to show her the noise it made. Her small face lit up and she reached out, her tiny, dexterous fingers wrapping around the handle. She shook it, and giggled when she was able to make the hollow tinkling sound herself.

River's attention was attracted to the sound, and he gave a squeak when he noticed her rattle. But Blue Eyes and I had thought ahead and brought River's with us as well. So when River tried to get Sage's rattle, we were prepared. The first to come visit was Deja, and the moment she realized I had two chimps in my arms instead of one, she started gushing with excitement. But she had to move along soon, but I knew that I wouldn't get away with not giving her her own time with them. I was fine with that, Deja had been my friend since the beginning, and I felt she would get along well with them. Something told me she and Sage would have a few things in common in particular.

The line moved along, and soon, Heloise and Koba were next. Blue Eyes became uneasy, he didn't fully trust the scarred bonobo, even though said ape still didn't remember his past and had never so much as narrowed his eyes in my general direction. Still, Blue Eyes scooted a bit closer and kept an eye on him as he and his wife got a look at the prince's children.

_"What eyes! Congratulations you two, they're beautiful."_ Heloise signed, leaning in to give my cheeks a kiss and to pat each of the twins' heads.

_"Good luck with them."_ Koba gave a humorous huff and inclined his head to both of us.

We thanked them politely, and they moved on. I took a glance at Blue Eyes, he was watching Koba go, the look on his face blank, his mask concealing his emotions from the outside . But I knew he was thinking about Koba's transition, and I knew they were doubtful thoughts, so I nudged him and gave him a smile. He returned it and re-wrapped his arm around my waist as we went back to greeting people. A few humans stopped by, Armando included.

"Look at these faces! My wife would have fainted if she seen how cute they are. Have you named them?" He added, his smile bright as ever.

"Sage and River." Blue Eyes answered, an amused smile on his face.

"Ah, wonderful names! I have some gifts for them." He reached up and pulled two chains out from under his shirt. He revealed two metal dog-tag-like pendants. He held them out in his palm and showed them to us. They looked a lot like miniature plaques, and neatly written letters were stamped into the smooth silver face, forming the words, _"Make me an Instrument of your Peace."_

"These are the words of Saint Francis of Assisi, who loved all animals very dearly. I give these words to your children in hope that they grow up to be as charming as their mother, and as brave as their father." The jovial Hispanic smiled.

"Thank you, my friend." Blue Eyes said, nodding his head gratefully as he accepted the gifts.

"For everything." I added.

"I am happy to be of some help. If there is anything you ever need, just ask me. Congratulations and good luck with parenthood." With that, he moved on. Others had brought gifts and tributes as well, and the drums beat on steadily throughout the night. People danced all over the village, much food had been laid out, and spirits soared. Seeing everyone so happy gave me a lot of satisfaction, they hadn't been this jubilant since the incident in the city. I was glad to know that we were well on our way in recovery. Though some still mourned their lost and loved, it was good to know that they could let go and forget their pain, even if only for a night.

As the half moon rose higher, torches were lit, giving glow to the masses of swaying, rocking bodies. Still apes lined up to meet my babes, but I wasn't going to let it go on for much longer, they were getting tired, they had stopped playing with their rattles and stopped paying much attention to their visitors and had started dozing off. I would have to feed them soon as well.

I went into a kind of autopilot, I still greeted and spoke for a short time with the spectators, but my mind was on different matters. I was a mother. I had two children now. It seemed like just last week I was arguing with Dax about bear attack protocols and thinking over how much I could salvage in the dam to get it kicking again. Now I was suddenly in love and happily wedded, and now I had two little babies to take care of. There are some things that I wished hadn't happened, but this wasn't one of them. I wished my mother and my eldest brother could meet the twins. I think my mom would have liked Blue Eyes, I had liked him from the beginning, and I thought that once she got past the fur, she might've given her blessing. Dax probably would have had a slight problem with the species contrast, and I didn't even want to think about how he would have reacted to my pregnancy, but I knew that once he would've seen the twins, he would have melted.

But, there was nothing I could do about their absences, so I opted for fond thoughts and wishful thinking. I was about to tell Blue Eyes it was time to bring the twins back to the hollow when I seen who the next visitor was. Aria. I decided she would be the last to see them tonight. Her mask was off, and I could see the tender look in her eye when she gazed down at my babies. It made me wonder if she had any children of her own. I had never heard of her referring to anyone as a legitimate son or daughter, and I wasn't sure if she had a mate either. But something told me not to ask, so I held my tongue. The normally snippy Oba looked up and met my gaze, a soft nod bobbing her head gently.

_"Your brother was right. You're responsible for beautiful things."_ She signed. _"Congratulations, both of you."_

A was struck by a wave of raw emotion, and I felt it burn and rise up in my eyes. A small smile tugged at my lips, and I couldn't think of words that would convey how I wanted to thank her for those immensely kind words. Aria seemed to pick up in that, and reached out and pulled our foreheads together. I reached out and put my hand on her shoulder in return. When she pulled away, all she did was smile down at me and my children, nodded at Blue Eyes, and went on her way. Blue Eyes, aware of the emotional state I was in, took my hand and called the line off. He explained that I and the children were tired and that we should rest.

With that, he took me back to our hollow and held me in his arms on our hammock, our children in between us, suckling gently.

* * *

**Ble-Ble-Ble-that's all folks! as Porky would say. I'm happy to say that's the end of the book. I might throw an epilogue in there, but it would be short. I'll get working on the sequel quickly and I'll let you all know when it's up.**

**Thanks so much to all you fabulous readers! I've read all your reviews and each one is highly appreciated and always makes me smile. See you in a little bit! :)**


	36. Chapter 36

Epilogue

Blue Eyes breathed in and opened his eyes. He hugged his arms a little tighter around the woman in his arms and looked down upon their two children, who slept peacefully on their mother's bare chest. His son stirred slightly, but the child didn't wake, only snuggled his face under Rain's chin. The scarred ape smiled softly and ran a long digit over each of his children's heads fondly. His gaze drifted upward when his wife sighed in her sleep, the pale eyed ape's irises drifted over her delicate features. Her defined cheekbones, her dark lashes falling closed over rainbows she had given to their daughter. He took in the cute pout her full lips formed in her relaxed state, and he leaned his head over and kissed the thick, dark hair atop her head. Blue Eyes' hand reached up and lightly caressed her naked arm, silently reveling in her smooth skin like he's done countless times before.

A glance at the vine curtain that shielded his family from the night told him that it was just past sunrise. He knew all three would be hungry when they awoke, so he carefully peeled himself away from his other half and silently exited the privacy of their hollow and into the waking village to get some breakfast for his wife. He returned the greetings he received from passers by, thanking them for their congratulations as he went. He made it to the long stone table that held the ingredients for each of the villages' meals, and started picking out what he knew Rain liked best. After filling the wooden plate, the simian prince turned away from the warming stones of the communal eating areas and back toward his private home. A hand suddenly clapped his shoulder, and a hoot of greeting briefly filled his ears. The light hued chimp turned to see his best friend standing there.

_"Can you go fishing?"_ Ash signed.

Blue Eyes thought about it for a moment, his eyes finding the vine curtain that concealed his family's sleeping place before he turned back to the speckle faced ape. _"Let me drop this off first."_

Ash nodded, his fangs poking out from under his lips as he gave a smile. Blue Eyes returned it and made his way up Home Tree. When he made it up, he paused outside the draping vegetation to listen for any signs of conscious life, and when he heard nothing, he quietly stepped inside. The scent of flowers and fire and family wreathed around him, and he saw Rain and the twins cuddling on their hammock. The sight filled him with tender love for the three sleeping perfections.

He gently got on the hammock behind Raina, reaching over her sleeping form to place the plate where he himself had lain the night before. Blue Eyes took a moment for what must have been the eightieth time to study what had changed his entire world over a year ago. The small framed Cherokee girl slept peacefully with their two children laying over her torso and chest, the woman keeping contact with them always. Blue Eyes had noticed that lately, his wife always had her hands on the children whenever she slept, and she maintained the contact no matter how any of them moved, Blue Eyes included. The sight always made him smile. He leaned down and kissed just above Rain's ear before laying his whole hand over River's and then Sage's backs, like a miniature hug for each.

Carefully, Blue Eyes got off the hammock again and without a sound, sneaked back out into the partly sunny village. With a look up, he knew it would probably rain later that evening, but the scent of the oncoming falling water was faint, so he knew his little fishing trip would be fine. He met up with Ash near the Gates, and took the fishing spear the ape handed him. They moved briskly through the forest and soon reached the river. The brothers fished in the shallows, joking around like they always did. Even though they weren't teenagers anymore, they didn't let that stop them from having a good time together. It made Blue Eyes think back to when he and Ash were still children, when they had constantly tried and failed to sneak out of the village. But there had been only one time they had succeeded. The two had taken some fishing spears and figured out the way to the river. They had been caught while walking back home, each of them carrying fish. That was when their parents had decided that it was time to start teaching them to provide for their home like their fathers did.

Soon, when each of the apes had caught enough fish, they started on their way back. A blackberry bush caught their attention, and Ash's insistent appetite forced them to make a quick pit stop. Even though Blue Eyes wanted to get back and check on his family, he complied with his brother's wishes. They sat, eating the berries in silence. But of course, with Ash around, nothing ever stayed silent for too long.

_"So what's it like?"_ The ashy furred ape signed.

Blue Eyes looked up. _"What's what like?"_

_"Having a family."_ Ash ate another berry.

_"You have a family."_

_"Not like you. You took the next step and made your own."_ The normally playful ape replied. _"What's it like?"_

Blue Eyes took a moment to think about his friend's question, eating a berry to buy himself some time. _"It's like...before I met Rain, I could only see in black and white. But when I got to know her, she started filling my world with color. And then when they were born,"_ he gestured toward the village, conveying that he meant his newborn son and daughter. _"They brightened the colors in a way I've never seen before."_

Ash looked away, up into the towering canopy. Blue Eyes wasn't sure if he understood, but it was the only way he could think to answer his question accurately. When Ash looked back at him, he lifted his hands to sign. _"Seems colorful already. Maybe it's because of the different eyes."_ He joked lightly.

Blue Eyes puffed out a soft laugh. _"Yeah, that's why."_

The gray furred ape hummed. _"Sounds nice."_

_"You'd like it. You and Dana would be good parents, if you worked together."_ Blue Eyes signed, knowing what was floating underneath his brother's mind. Most of his peers were at the age for wanting families of their own, and it seemed the instinct was starting to nudge at Ash.

_"Who said anything about Dana?"_ He said, trying to hide his embarrassed surprise. His façade would have fooled anyone else, but not Blue Eyes. He knew Ash way too well to be played by a poker face.

_"You've had a crush on her for how long now?"_ Blue Eyes smirked and raised a brow. He loved teasing Ash.

The speckled lipped chimp seemed to grasp that there was no fooling the eldest prince, and gave in with a sigh. _"How long have you known?"_

It was the same question Blue Eyes once asked Ash, regarding his feelings for his wife.

_"Long time."_ Blue Eyes gave the same answer Ash had given him, once upon a time.

Ash looked down with a puff of laughter. When he looked up, he was smiling with a face sprinkled with mirth. _"Of course. Don't know why I even try to keep things from you. You always figure it out."_

_"Likewise."_ Blue Eyes smirked back. _"Let's go. Rain and the twins will be up any moment, and we need to get this fish to the village before it starts to stink."_

_"Lead on, brother."_

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**It was fun writing this story, I'll let you know when the sequel is up, should be soon :)**


	37. Chapter 37

Sequel is up! So go to my profile and check it out! :D


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